I have some Coach full-price pebbled leather and soft, glove-tanned that I got for under $300, and they're excellent quality. Not made in the USA quality, but still higher quality than most brands.
Coach Is Closing 70 Full Price Stores
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I could be mistaken, but my understanding is that saffiano leather refers to the way the leather is processed and treated, not the leather itself. So the quality of the pre-processed saffiano could make a difference.
Yes that makes sense but in the end the way it's processed the end product is just as durable and beautiful
My Michael Kors Saffiano Jet Sets have held up wonderfully in this regard.Yes that makes sense but in the end the way it's processed the end product is just as durable and beautiful
I have both MK and Coach saff totes and they both have held up beautifully, but I have noticed a difference in the thickness. The Coach totes had a stiffer and lighter feel and my MK tote is thicker and not as structured. I am not sure whether that is a result of the leather or the processing, however, the Prada bags I have seen feel much more substantial than either Coach or MK.
Just a thought. You may be right, but given the way Coach has cut corners in the past couple of years, I wouldn't be surprised if they are purchasing a lower quality leather. And there is really no way to tell except to compare the "life" of each bag.
Coach most definitely could produce bags for less, but they ultimately don't want to compete in that market and are trying to establish their brand for a different market. The cost of producing the bag does not necessarily correlate with a pricing strategy.
If they use inferior materials and the quality isn't there, than they will only devalue their brand.
I have nothing against Saffiano. I have a saffiano tote that I love for its durability but I don't want a closetful of saffiano bags. Coach's heritage is making handbags from high quality glove tanned leather. What made Coach special for many of us was the quality of the leather they used. This quality is apparent in most bags produced from the 1980s to the late 2000s.
When I look at recent designs, there are fewer bags made in traditional smooth leather. I suspect that this isn't just an aesthetic design choice but a cost-cutting measure.
Absolutely, but the second half of what you said is more where the problem lays vs the price point of their products.
Though, i also feel paying tons of money simply for a brand, an image can only go so far these days, i was in a boot store not long ago.. they sell loads of brands but also heavy into western wear...
They had the most soft, squishy purse ... omg... it was just lovely to touch, it was made from moose hide, it was priced under 200$CAD this was a NICE purse and an absolutely gorgeous colour, i didn't recolonize the label but was well marked on who it was by and what is was made of i just was again unfamiliar.
My point here is it's possible to make quality goods for less, and while Coach may want to appeal to those who feel they should pay more eventually if you don't get what you pay for their is disappointment, frankly i learned a long time ago price doesn't reflect quality they are not equal ..
I think Coach would lose a lot of business if they did this. Many people do not have a FP store, or if it is like mine it is sorely lacking in merchandise most of the time (most items I want to see are not there). A lot of people will not buy if they cannot see the merchandise, so that would eliminate a lot of sales for Coach that could have taken place in a department store. If you peruse the forums, it is clear a lot of people buy in the department stores, and I would venture to say there are many people that buy far more from the department stores versus the FP store.
For me personally, I can't actually look at the merchandise or shop at FP stores because I am the only one in there, they follow me around and ask me questions, and that is so against the way I shop. I like to just look without being bothered. You can ask me if I need help, but once I say no, please go away
At the department store I can actually look at the bag. And their sales is one of the reasons I still buy Coach. If it was FP, I wouldn't buy most of the items I have purchased...even though I like them very much. I just don't feel okay with spending that much on a bag.
I think Coach would lose a lot of business if they did this. Many people do not have a FP store, or if it is like mine it is sorely lacking in merchandise most of the time (most items I want to see are not there). A lot of people will not buy if they cannot see the merchandise, so that would eliminate a lot of sales for Coach that could have taken place in a department store. If you peruse the forums, it is clear a lot of people buy in the department stores, and I would venture to say there are many people that buy far more from the department stores versus the FP store.
For me personally, I can't actually look at the merchandise or shop at FP stores because I am the only one in there, they follow me around and ask me questions, and that is so against the way I shop. I like to just look without being bothered. You can ask me if I need help, but once I say no, please go away
I agree, i much prefer to see a purse in person, i have bought online before but i try to avoid that and besides i would bet for Coach itself stocking department stores would have better profit margins as they don't have to pay for the store and the staff and as you said opens them up to wider client base.
This. All of it. A thousand times over.
That's exactly the feeling I'm getting now too --- from both both fp and mff. Why so much saffiano now? Why so much "stiff/thin/plasticky" leathers? Ugh.
I do like the softer pebbled that Bleecker was using recently. (At least as of some months ago.) I also like the leather on my "mini-stud" wristlet from this past autumn (though it could have been a little thicker), and yes, the glove-tanned on my Boroughs. But for the most part .... what the heck happened to the leathers????
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From today's earnings call:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/coachs-earnings-fall-less-than-expected-1422535765
"... his plans to improve the company’s results are working, citing increased sales at 20 remodeled stores that showcase Coach’s new image as a lifestyle brand that includes shoes, apparel and accessories in addition to handbags."
"As part of its repositioning, Coach has greatly curtailed promotions, which Mr. Luis said was partly to blame for the sharp sales decline. He added, however, that the company’s research showed that by offering fewer deals, it has started to regain its standing with consumers as a high-quality brand."
http://www.wsj.com/articles/coachs-earnings-fall-less-than-expected-1422535765
"... his plans to improve the company’s results are working, citing increased sales at 20 remodeled stores that showcase Coach’s new image as a lifestyle brand that includes shoes, apparel and accessories in addition to handbags."
"As part of its repositioning, Coach has greatly curtailed promotions, which Mr. Luis said was partly to blame for the sharp sales decline. He added, however, that the company’s research showed that by offering fewer deals, it has started to regain its standing with consumers as a high-quality brand."
I think Coach would lose a lot of business if they did this. Many people do not have a FP store, or if it is like mine it is sorely lacking in merchandise most of the time (most items I want to see are not there). A lot of people will not buy if they cannot see the merchandise, so that would eliminate a lot of sales for Coach that could have taken place in a department store. If you peruse the forums, it is clear a lot of people buy in the department stores, and I would venture to say there are many people that buy far more from the department stores versus the FP store.
For me personally, I can't actually look at the merchandise or shop at FP stores because I am the only one in there, they follow me around and ask me questions, and that is so against the way I shop. I like to just look without being bothered. You can ask me if I need help, but once I say no, please go away
This all for sales thinking is what got coach in this position to begin with... The over saturation has caused coach to be less desireable
I know that has been stated as one of the issues, but what it really came down to for Coach is that they began to have more competition over the years. And though there was a lot of talk from Coach about all of these upcoming changes about less sales and more exclusives and less lower priced bags, so far it has just been a bunch of chatter. Part of that is because they know that a lot of their sales come from reasonably priced merchandise. They will never suddenly turn into one of the higher end brands because they don't have the customer base for that.
If they truly changed their business model as they stated they were going to do, they would need to make sure they have enough new customers to make up for the many, many old customers they would lose. As of right now, many of the FP stores are fairly empty (yes there are some exceptions), so without those department store products and sales, I would suspect they would have quite a bit of inventory sitting around.
Also, Coach being on sale at a department store is no different than other name brands being on sale....when those department stores have a sale it is typically a limited exclusion sale that is offering sales on many of its brand names. Coach being excluded from that would not make Coach more appealing, it would only make it far less desired, imo.
The marketing strategy may have worked for other brands, but I doubt it would with Coach. Mulberry tried to raise themselves up in the price range of LV, and failed miserably; they started cutting the cost of production (which is what I think Coach is doing now), while raising the prices. You can't believe that consumers won't really tell the difference; and if on top of that, if you limit the promotions, and the venues to shop these bags at, then in my opinion sales will plummet tremendously. Not every brand is cut out to be LV, Chanel, nor does it have to be, and Coach just has to search for their own identity. Trying to avoid competition with Kate Spade, Tory Burch, and MK by elevating its prices (but not quality), is only going to skewer them in the long run. The premier market is saturated enough already, and if they have to fight for the same clientele, without an established customer base (or originality+quality in their products to back them up)...it won't be a pretty picture.
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Well i do know my SA told me they were just requested to inquire for an address for special promotions to be mailed to customers who desired this, i'll be curious to see if and what i get lol
Also the factory in store sale only ran two days vs 3 online and no visible advertising was present other than the 30% off clearance.
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