Do you guys think that this brand is doing better than the rest of the economy....

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purseforever

Member
Oct 5, 2008
37
0
#1
Is it possible that Coach full price boutique sales fell off a cliff in August and September? I'm guess its been running negative for a while (maybe down 5% or 7%). Is it possible that its doing even worse than that? I was reading about all of the other retailers out there and they have been doing so freaking poorly. Then I hear that the Coach outlets stores are getting more and more returns from full price and more bags from full price and i'm wondering if the regular stores are down like 10% or even 15%?

Louis Vuitton said it was doing just fine... but they are a little different...

What do you girl's think?
 
#2
The Outlets are doing well, but the boutique is slow. I think the one type of bag driving sales at the Boutique right now would be the Sabrina. Since it is doing well, who knows when it will go to the Outlet....that's more $$ for Coach!
 
#3
I think Coach is doing well overall with new lines coming out and last season's bags (1 or 2 months old even!) are heading off to the outlets. They're making a killing no matter what because they seem to address various types of shoppers with different budgets and still get people to open their wallets to get more!!! Heck, Coach got me to buy more than I would have at any other place.

Just yesterday, I walked through the outlet mall and the only thing I had on my mind was Coach. That's how much this brand has infiltrated my bloodstream. Even here, I log in everyday and check out new threads and what's happening in the Coach world!
 
#4
Based on the fact that this SA keeps calling from my previous boutique (my normal SA quit and went to work for Juicy), I would say the boutiques are hurting right now. I was also told this at another local boutique, as well as from someone at the outlet. I've managed so far to buy everything outside of the boutique except for the op art ponytail scarf, but I'll probably buy the Madison pilot. I'll just keep the tags on and hope for PCE, etc. This SA told me they will probably be offering the coupon ($50 off $150) soon and that I will "always be offered the discounts" no matter what. So I was pretty certain her store's sales have dropped based on that comment. Overall, though, the Madison line is doing well, especially considering the economy.

As for the outlets, I went yesterday and spent $700 :shame:, and afterward we ate at this cafe next door. I saw multiple people taking Coach shopping bags into the outlet, I'm sure for returns/exchanges unless they went back to buy something else, so that doesn't surprise me they are getting a lot of returns at the outlets! However, I also did see a lot of people walking out with purchases, and I personally could have spent more than I did. TBH, there's no reason right now for me to purchase at the boutique other than I will probably buy the Madison pilot, much to my SA's dismay! :smile: Honestly, I almost want to hang out (camp out) outside the outlet door since I saw so many people going in to probably return items!! :P
 
#5
I was at Scottsdale boutique on Saturday, the mall was crowded but the Coach store was empty. I was the only customer in there for a while. Usually a Saturday at Coach is busy or somewhat busy.
 
#6
cverhoff said:
I was at Scottsdale boutique on Saturday, the mall was crowded but the Coach store was empty. I was the only customer in there for a while. Usually a Saturday at Coach is busy or somewhat busy.
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Yes, in general that's exactlywhat I notice at the malls here too. I honestly only see business around PCE and coupon events anyway. Mostly otherwise I see returns, and I'm at some Coach boutique almost every weekend, sometimes more than one store too. The malls are crowded, but Coach is not. On the other hand, I do see people making generic handbag purchases at Nordies, L&T, Saks, and Macys. Any time I've been in Neiman Marcus, it's been dead too.
 
#7
I've been in about 6 boutiques lately - four in N. Cal, two in S. Cal and one in Nevada and there weren't many customers at all in any of them and the ones that were there were looking more than buying (I was trying to find a store that had the Inlaid OpArt bags to look at so in all my travels this month, I'd check it out when I was near a store) - the outlets seem to be doing a lot of business but I agree with Baglady - I was at Gilroy on Saturday and almost every person in line had a return - they were also buying, but it looked like they were returning more than they were buying - Gilroy also had a lot of brand new items that people had returned - I saw a Sabrina, a Barrett, clothing, accessories, perfume, etc on the shelf behind the counter where they keep newer items.
 
#8
Is that the normal PCE? They send these 4x a year right?

baglady39 said:
Based on the fact that this SA keeps calling from my previous boutique (my normal SA quit and went to work for Juicy), I would say the boutiques are hurting right now. I was also told this at another local boutique, as well as from someone at the outlet. I've managed so far to buy everything outside of the boutique except for the op art ponytail scarf, but I'll probably buy the Madison pilot. I'll just keep the tags on and hope for PCE, etc. This SA told me they will probably be offering the coupon ($50 off $150) soon and that I will "always be offered the discounts" no matter what. So I was pretty certain her store's sales have dropped based on that comment. Overall, though, the Madison line is doing well, especially considering the economy.

As for the outlets, I went yesterday and spent $700 :shame:, and afterward we ate at this cafe next door. I saw multiple people taking Coach shopping bags into the outlet, I'm sure for returns/exchanges unless they went back to buy something else, so that doesn't surprise me they are getting a lot of returns at the outlets! However, I also did see a lot of people walking out with purchases, and I personally could have spent more than I did. TBH, there's no reason right now for me to purchase at the boutique other than I will probably buy the Madison pilot, much to my SA's dismay! :smile: Honestly, I almost want to hang out (camp out) outside the outlet door since I saw so many people going in to probably return items!! :P
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#9
Coach's stock has dropped quite a bit as of late, but that's to be expected in this economy. I do think that people are being more careful about their spending and probably won't buy much in the full price boutiques. Coach is seen as an affordable luxury brand, and people are used to getting deals on this brand in outlets, etc., so I do think it will be hurt for awhile. I also don't think it did itself any favors by excluding regular customers from different PCE events and raising their prices for a few years.

I think they're still having an identity crisis (high end? Low end? combo?) and this is going to be an issue with this economy struggling right now. I wish them well, though. Few companies would allow the kinds of returns and such they do...
 
#10
baglady39 said:
Based on the fact that this SA keeps calling from my previous boutique (my normal SA quit and went to work for Juicy), I would say the boutiques are hurting right now. I was also told this at another local boutique, as well as from someone at the outlet. I've managed so far to buy everything outside of the boutique except for the op art ponytail scarf, but I'll probably buy the Madison pilot. I'll just keep the tags on and hope for PCE, etc. This SA told me they will probably be offering the coupon ($50 off $150) soon and that I will "always be offered the discounts" no matter what. So I was pretty certain her store's sales have dropped based on that comment. Overall, though, the Madison line is doing well, especially considering the economy.

As for the outlets, I went yesterday and spent $700 :shame:, and afterward we ate at this cafe next door. I saw multiple people taking Coach shopping bags into the outlet, I'm sure for returns/exchanges unless they went back to buy something else, so that doesn't surprise me they are getting a lot of returns at the outlets! However, I also did see a lot of people walking out with purchases, and I personally could have spent more than I did. TBH, there's no reason right now for me to purchase at the boutique other than I will probably buy the Madison pilot, much to my SA's dismay! :smile: Honestly, I almost want to hang out (camp out) outside the outlet door since I saw so many people going in to probably return items!! :P
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I was told the gift card IS on its way and that I am on the list to receive it. The info was volunteered to me too. I didn't ask about it at all.

I agree about the boutiques being VERY empty these days.
 
#13
purseforever said:
How many times this year did you get a gift card? Also - is it significantly less than last year?
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You mean technically or how many times was I on the list?? I first started getting these cards last Sept, I think, probably because I had never shopped at a boutique till on my June cruise in St. Thomas, and I bought at both stores within Little Switzerland. Both DH and I got the cards, and I continued to get them for every event including for the outlet shoppers, and he got all but the extended PCE for last Dec. Then this year at first I thought we were left off some of the lists, but it turns out my mail is being "lost" or stolen so I no longer have an accurate count. I have always been granted the discounts from a couple of boutiques even without the card, but there are 2-3 that won't allow it even if I'm on the list.

Honestly, our names keep getting dropped out of the system! This happened again at the outlet yesterday, and it's really frustrating! I do know if you're not checked to receive promos in the client tracker info, then you have no chance to get the cards. The best way I've found is to shop mostly at one boutique with one SA...after they get to know you, you are given a better level of CS and usually are allowed the discounts. I know they clamped down on this, but my store still used a PCE card from their store when I didn't have mine. They kept me to one transaction, though, and my husband had to technically make the second PCE purchase...or vice versa!
 
#14
All I know is, with that 25% BC coupon, my Tanger outlet Coach store has been busy as heck. Because I tend to go early in the day when I visit, I usually don't encounter a crowd, but last time I was up there to do my charge send for my walnut Legacy flap, I had to wait in line for about 15 minutes, and I've NEVER had to wait.
 
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