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Cartier Takes Saks to Court
The legal dispute stems from a disagreement over the jeweler’s location in the department store’s New York City flagship store amid renovation.
This week, Richemont-owned jewelry brand Cartier took legal action against Saks Fifth Avenue over its location in the department store’s New York City flagship.
New York—No one puts Cartier in the corner.
This week, the French jeweler, which is owned by Geneva-based luxury conglomerate Richemont, took legal action against Saks Fifth Avenue over its location in the department store’s New York City flagship, located at 611 Fifth Ave.
Cartier and Saks signed a five-year retail lease in 2016 but when Saks started its first-floor renovation and proposed a new spot for the popular brand, Cartier pushed back, refusing to “move to a location within the store that does not align with the Maison’s positioning and image standards,” the company said in a statement.
Saks terminated Cartier’s lease following the renovation relocation dustup, which is what prompted the jewelry brand to take the retailer to court.
“Cartier has long been committed to Saks Fifth Avenue and had anticipated this partnership lasting through 2021, at a minimum,” the company’s statement reads. “The announcement of today’s legal action against Saks is in response to Saks’ breach and attempted termination of this contract.”
Cartier’s complaint against the department store was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York; it alleges breach of contract.
In it, the company states that the renovation led to a decrease in foot traffic, as well as “significant dust and construction debris,” and asks that Saks be stopped from terminating the contract.
The complaint also asserts that damages could be in excess of $40 million.
A representative for Hudson’s Bay Company, the owner of Saks, told National Jeweler that it doesn’t comment on pending litigation but offered this on its renovation: “We have re-conceptualized the model of our Fifth Avenue Flagship in a way that will revolutionize luxury shopping.
“In partnership with our many existing and new vendors, our grand renovation will deliver a one-of-a-kind experience to our customers through elevated and dominant category presentations in our re-imagined store.”
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