I'm All Coached Out!

Oct 8, 2013
427
218
Hi All,
I have been away from all my fellow Coachies for a while because I snuck under the fence on Ebay and instead of buying a new soft Borough that I had my eye on I purchased a pre loved Speedy 30 in Damier Azur for a little bit more. Reason being that since the winter I have been loving all of the new Spring collection that they put out and made a significant dent in my wallet....although I did get about half on sale. Now every bag that I bought are now at the outlets and selling for half of what I paid :sad: While I'm happy for the people getting them at that price, I am sad for all of us that bought in the Spring at full price.

Why can't Coach keep their great bags as classics and stop making us afraid to open our wallets when they come out, only to find them in the outlets a few months later. I have a 10 year old LV Alma and each year it's being sold and at a considerably higher price than I paid in 2004. Is it just me? I'm Coached out and by the way what the heck is with the bird heads in the new ad?

Thanks for reading and sorry for the venting.
 
Hi All,
I have been away from all my fellow Coachies for a while because I snuck under the fence on Ebay and instead of buying a new soft Borough that I had my eye on I purchased a pre loved Speedy 30 in Damier Azur for a little bit more. Reason being that since the winter I have been loving all of the new Spring collection that they put out and made a significant dent in my wallet....although I did get about half on sale. Now every bag that I bought are now at the outlets and selling for half of what I paid :sad: While I'm happy for the people getting them at that price, I am sad for all of us that bought in the Spring at full price.

Why can't Coach keep their great bags as classics and stop making us afraid to open our wallets when they come out, only to find them in the outlets a few months later. I have a 10 year old LV Alma and each year it's being sold and at a considerably higher price than I paid in 2004. Is it just me? I'm Coached out and by the way what the heck is with the bird heads in the new ad?

Thanks for reading and sorry for the venting.

This is going to happen - no getting around it (in bold).
If I were purchased at FP I would have to be in TOTAL LOVE with it for the reason in bold. If it is TOTAL LOVE - then I would not worry about others got it for later.

One has to be HAPPY with their purchase and ROCK that bag and dont worry about WHEN it goes to outlet for cheaper, b/c one day.....it will go.
 
I agree. While I may never be up to the minute in style, I always wait for outlet sales or buy pre-loved. The good thing about Coach's outlet turn over rate is that you never have to wait very long!
 
Hi All,
I have been away from all my fellow Coachies for a while because I snuck under the fence on Ebay and instead of buying a new soft Borough that I had my eye on I purchased a pre loved Speedy 30 in Damier Azur for a little bit more. Reason being that since the winter I have been loving all of the new Spring collection that they put out and made a significant dent in my wallet....although I did get about half on sale. Now every bag that I bought are now at the outlets and selling for half of what I paid :sad: While I'm happy for the people getting them at that price, I am sad for all of us that bought in the Spring at full price.

Why can't Coach keep their great bags as classics and stop making us afraid to open our wallets when they come out, only to find them in the outlets a few months later. I have a 10 year old LV Alma and each year it's being sold and at a considerably higher price than I paid in 2004. Is it just me? I'm Coached out and by the way what the heck is with the bird heads in the new ad?

Thanks for reading and sorry for the venting.
You are right on this problem. When i pay up for LV, i do so in complete confidence that the product is actually going higher, not lower in the future. In fact, i am a bit cavalier about what I pay for LV (if I love it) because the day I tire of it, I can sell it for at or above what I paid.

Coach is totally different. I won't rush to buy a new style. I enjoy fantasizing about it, but I will wait and see. Coach may try to change their ways, but they have brilliantly trained the consumer to wait it out and avoid full price.
 
I agree. While I may never be up to the minute in style, I always wait for outlet sales or buy pre-loved. The good thing about Coach's outlet turn over rate is that you never have to wait very long!

:yes: you never have to wait long
I only pay fp for bags I cant wait for, lol
 
I've never paid full price for a bag there are more important things in life to spend that money on, that's why outlets are a blessing also some of us gals will never have $700+ to blow on a handbag.
 
It doesn't bother me because I don't purchase handbags to appreciate or hold their value, I buy them to carry my stuff and I buy what I like no matter how old it is. I don't care about the latest, hot thing. I love Legacy and most of the stuff I buy on FOS, at the outlet, and on eBay is from 2012 - 2013 which is fine with me. I'm all about getting a deal. I ALWAYS buy Coach on sale and even then, as others have stated, I only buy what I LOVE. Luckily, I've never loved a Coach handbag enough to pay full price.......:smile:

I love the new Rhyder and the Soft Boroughs but not enough to pay FP. Will they ever end up for sale at a discount???? I don't know.............but what is it going to hurt me to wait and see..........
 
There are those of us that are willing to pay full price for an occasional Coach splurge, and pay pce for the rest of our Coach bags, and there are those of us that only buy at the outlet or ebay for at least 50% off.

I used to buy a lot more Coach. I occasionally paid full price (once every couple of years) always bought pce (every time they came out) and didn't worry about what others paid because there was not a good outlet near me, and I was not invited to FOS yet. FOS at this time was not much of a sale yet anyway.

Then things changed. I stopped getting pce invites that others were getting who never paid full price or pce price. I didn't get the 30-40% discounts they were handing out to everyone, and the ultimate insult: I did not get invited to the semi-annual presale and had to wait to shop with the masses.

Of course this confused and angered me. Didn't Coach appreciate my business? Didn't they want my money? Why wasn't I "valued" enough to get the discounts?

I had stopped buying Coach for about 10 months or so and bought Reed Krakoff and went back to buying Balenciaga and Gucci and started saving for a Celine bag. I didn't miss Coach at that time.

But the thing is, I have a purse budget, and Coach, even at full price, makes that budget go a lot further. I have outgrown the desire to have an overpriced "it" bag. I want quality leather and clean lines at a moderate price for most of my bags, although I am willing to invest in the occasional higher priced bag. Coach fits my need even at full price. At least that was true until the recent price increases. Now, they are pricing themselves out of my impulse budget and will not be purchased as much.

When I stopped taking Coach's stupidity and cluelessness personally, I was able to buy a few bags at a price I could live with and get back to enjoying my purse collection. It is a LOT of work to find the exact bag I want at outlet prices and I am not willing to invest my time. I would rather pay more.

With FOS I do get the occasional bag at 50% off and that is good enough for me. I have bought one bag at full price (the grommet borough) and that will be it for full price for me.

Who knows why Coach does not want to treat me as preferred or special? It's their loss :cool:
 
There are those of us that are willing to pay full price for an occasional Coach splurge, and pay pce for the rest of our Coach bags, and there are those of us that only buy at the outlet or ebay for at least 50% off.

I used to buy a lot more Coach. I occasionally paid full price (once every couple of years) always bought pce (every time they came out) and didn't worry about what others paid because there was not a good outlet near me, and I was not invited to FOS yet. FOS at this time was not much of a sale yet anyway.

Then things changed. I stopped getting pce invites that others were getting who never paid full price or pce price. I didn't get the 30-40% discounts they were handing out to everyone, and the ultimate insult: I did not get invited to the semi-annual presale and had to wait to shop with the masses.

Of course this confused and angered me. Didn't Coach appreciate my business? Didn't they want my money? Why wasn't I "valued" enough to get the discounts?

I had stopped buying Coach for about 10 months or so and bought Reed Krakoff and went back to buying Balenciaga and Gucci and started saving for a Celine bag. I didn't miss Coach at that time.

But the thing is, I have a purse budget, and Coach, even at full price, makes that budget go a lot further. I have outgrown the desire to have an overpriced "it" bag. I want quality leather and clean lines at a moderate price for most of my bags, although I am willing to invest in the occasional higher priced bag. Coach fits my need even at full price. At least that was true until the recent price increases. Now, they are pricing themselves out of my impulse budget and will not be purchased as much.

When I stopped taking Coach's stupidity and cluelessness personally, I was able to buy a few bags at a price I could live with and get back to enjoying my purse collection. It is a LOT of work to find the exact bag I want at outlet prices and I am not willing to invest my time. I would rather pay more.

With FOS I do get the occasional bag at 50% off and that is good enough for me. I have bought one bag at full price (the grommet borough) and that will be it for full price for me.

Who knows why Coach does not want to treat me as preferred or special? It's their loss :cool:

Great post. I agree with pretty much all of this.
 
There are those of us that are willing to pay full price for an occasional Coach splurge, and pay pce for the rest of our Coach bags, and there are those of us that only buy at the outlet or ebay for at least 50% off.

I used to buy a lot more Coach. I occasionally paid full price (once every couple of years) always bought pce (every time they came out) and didn't worry about what others paid because there was not a good outlet near me, and I was not invited to FOS yet. FOS at this time was not much of a sale yet anyway.

Then things changed. I stopped getting pce invites that others were getting who never paid full price or pce price. I didn't get the 30-40% discounts they were handing out to everyone, and the ultimate insult: I did not get invited to the semi-annual presale and had to wait to shop with the masses.

Of course this confused and angered me. Didn't Coach appreciate my business? Didn't they want my money? Why wasn't I "valued" enough to get the discounts?

I had stopped buying Coach for about 10 months or so and bought Reed Krakoff and went back to buying Balenciaga and Gucci and started saving for a Celine bag. I didn't miss Coach at that time.

But the thing is, I have a purse budget, and Coach, even at full price, makes that budget go a lot further. I have outgrown the desire to have an overpriced "it" bag. I want quality leather and clean lines at a moderate price for most of my bags, although I am willing to invest in the occasional higher priced bag. Coach fits my need even at full price. At least that was true until the recent price increases. Now, they are pricing themselves out of my impulse budget and will not be purchased as much.

When I stopped taking Coach's stupidity and cluelessness personally, I was able to buy a few bags at a price I could live with and get back to enjoying my purse collection. It is a LOT of work to find the exact bag I want at outlet prices and I am not willing to invest my time. I would rather pay more.

With FOS I do get the occasional bag at 50% off and that is good enough for me. I have bought one bag at full price (the grommet borough) and that will be it for full price for me.

Who knows why Coach does not want to treat me as preferred or special? It's their loss :cool:
I have been a Coach customer for twenty years and I think their management is simply clueless on how to properly manage customer purchasing data and loyalty programs. Some loyal customers get cut out while others who never shop there receive all kinds of PCEs and discounts. I have received most PCEs and let them pass by unless there is something I truly want. It's hard not to take it personally, but the reality is that they are just poorly managing their most valuable asset--the loyal customer.

If 70 percent of their revenue comes from outlets, I have no idea how they plan to elevate this brand into a top tier name without drastically changing their outlet strategy. Just don't see it happening. I think they should look at what Mulberry has muddled through for the last couple of years and heed the warning. I'm not saying it's not possible--I'm just saying that this company doesn't know enough about its customers and position to even know what the brand represents--and I say this as a long time Coach supporter. I want them to succeed.

I live close to an outlet so I am fortunate to be able to easily check for new deletes and such. I don't pay full price unless it is something I can't live without and that hasn't happened in several years. I feel bad for those who pay FP and then see the bag at the outlet for half off. It's frustrating and no one wants to feel like they've wasted hard-earned money. Whatever Coach does, I just wish they'd be consistent.
 
I have been a Coach customer for twenty years and I think their management is simply clueless on how to properly manage customer purchasing data and loyalty programs. Some loyal customers get cut out while others who never shop there receive all kinds of PCEs and discounts. I have received most PCEs and let them pass by unless there is something I truly want. It's hard not to take it personally, but the reality is that they are just poorly managing their most valuable asset--the loyal customer.

If 70 percent of their revenue comes from outlets, I have no idea how they plan to elevate this brand into a top tier name without drastically changing their outlet strategy. Just don't see it happening. I think they should look at what Mulberry has muddled through for the last couple of years and heed the warning. I'm not saying it's not possible--I'm just saying that this company doesn't know enough about its customers and position to even know what the brand represents--and I say this as a long time Coach supporter. I want them to succeed.

I live close to an outlet so I am fortunate to be able to easily check for new deletes and such. I don't pay full price unless it is something I can't live without and that hasn't happened in several years. I feel bad for those who pay FP and then see the bag at the outlet for half off. It's frustrating and no one wants to feel like they've wasted hard-earned money. Whatever Coach does, I just wish they'd be consistent.

Great post. :cool:

I think that Coach needs to understand their customer before they can drastically change their strategy or they will fail. They are trying so hard to be cool and hip right now. But they are still quietly sending bags to the outlets, and they are trying to hold onto old styles, revamped styles, new styles, hip styles, classic styles.

They need a plan in my opinion on how to execute their new strategy, or all these new bags will end up at the outlets in a year or less.

I want them to succeed, so I hope they figure it out. :smile:
 
There are those of us that are willing to pay full price for an occasional Coach splurge, and pay pce for the rest of our Coach bags, and there are those of us that only buy at the outlet or ebay for at least 50% off.

I used to buy a lot more Coach. I occasionally paid full price (once every couple of years) always bought pce (every time they came out) and didn't worry about what others paid because there was not a good outlet near me, and I was not invited to FOS yet. FOS at this time was not much of a sale yet anyway.

Then things changed. I stopped getting pce invites that others were getting who never paid full price or pce price. I didn't get the 30-40% discounts they were handing out to everyone, and the ultimate insult: I did not get invited to the semi-annual presale and had to wait to shop with the masses.

Of course this confused and angered me. Didn't Coach appreciate my business? Didn't they want my money? Why wasn't I "valued" enough to get the discounts?

I had stopped buying Coach for about 10 months or so and bought Reed Krakoff and went back to buying Balenciaga and Gucci and started saving for a Celine bag. I didn't miss Coach at that time.

But the thing is, I have a purse budget, and Coach, even at full price, makes that budget go a lot further. I have outgrown the desire to have an overpriced "it" bag. I want quality leather and clean lines at a moderate price for most of my bags, although I am willing to invest in the occasional higher priced bag. Coach fits my need even at full price. At least that was true until the recent price increases. Now, they are pricing themselves out of my impulse budget and will not be purchased as much.

When I stopped taking Coach's stupidity and cluelessness personally, I was able to buy a few bags at a price I could live with and get back to enjoying my purse collection. It is a LOT of work to find the exact bag I want at outlet prices and I am not willing to invest my time. I would rather pay more.

With FOS I do get the occasional bag at 50% off and that is good enough for me. I have bought one bag at full price (the grommet borough) and that will be it for full price for me.

Who knows why Coach does not want to treat me as preferred or special? It's their loss :cool:


+1

I certainly don't LOVE paying more than I have to for anything. I like a good deal as much as anyone else, but people place different priorities on their resources. I have a demanding job and younger kids I would rather spend time with them instead of putting in the work it takes to find a good deal. Other ladies have more time and perhaps a different budget. In fact, the few bag regrets I do have were outlet purchases because I felt compelled to get the deal rather than focusing on what I loved.

To each his own I say. If you love it, buy it and enjoy it. Know your "personal price ceiling" and don't let a messed up business model make you love your bags any less.

I
 
I read the best piece of advice I this forum, " If you wouldn't buy it at full price, it's not a bargain at an outlet".
I try to remember that when shopping ANY Coach sale.
I have a limited budget and little free time to shop also. Coach was always my go to for quality and value. Not any more.
Last bag I purchased was the needlepoint Madison Cafe Carryall.
Color transferred ONTO my new white tee and was rough enough to pill the side where I carried it.
It went back, but what a waste of time!
I am done.
 
There are those of us that are willing to pay full price for an occasional Coach splurge, and pay pce for the rest of our Coach bags, and there are those of us that only buy at the outlet or ebay for at least 50% off.

I used to buy a lot more Coach. I occasionally paid full price (once every couple of years) always bought pce (every time they came out) and didn't worry about what others paid because there was not a good outlet near me, and I was not invited to FOS yet. FOS at this time was not much of a sale yet anyway.

Then things changed. I stopped getting pce invites that others were getting who never paid full price or pce price. I didn't get the 30-40% discounts they were handing out to everyone, and the ultimate insult: I did not get invited to the semi-annual presale and had to wait to shop with the masses.

Of course this confused and angered me. Didn't Coach appreciate my business? Didn't they want my money? Why wasn't I "valued" enough to get the discounts?

I had stopped buying Coach for about 10 months or so and bought Reed Krakoff and went back to buying Balenciaga and Gucci and started saving for a Celine bag. I didn't miss Coach at that time.

But the thing is, I have a purse budget, and Coach, even at full price, makes that budget go a lot further. I have outgrown the desire to have an overpriced "it" bag. I want quality leather and clean lines at a moderate price for most of my bags, although I am willing to invest in the occasional higher priced bag. Coach fits my need even at full price. At least that was true until the recent price increases. Now, they are pricing themselves out of my impulse budget and will not be purchased as much.

When I stopped taking Coach's stupidity and cluelessness personally, I was able to buy a few bags at a price I could live with and get back to enjoying my purse collection. It is a LOT of work to find the exact bag I want at outlet prices and I am not willing to invest my time. I would rather pay more.

With FOS I do get the occasional bag at 50% off and that is good enough for me. I have bought one bag at full price (the grommet borough) and that will be it for full price for me.

Who knows why Coach does not want to treat me as preferred or special? It's their loss :cool:
I too agree with most of this. Too bag you didn't get invited to the presale and yes, it's hard to not take it personally. Glad you're back to buying selectively as that's a goal I'm trying to reach.
+1

I certainly don't LOVE paying more than I have to for anything. I like a good deal as much as anyone else, but people place different priorities on their resources. I have a demanding job and younger kids I would rather spend time with them instead of putting in the work it takes to find a good deal. Other ladies have more time and perhaps a different budget. In fact, the few bag regrets I do have were outlet purchases because I felt compelled to get the deal rather than focusing on what I loved.

To each his own I say. If you love it, buy it and enjoy it. Know your "personal price ceiling" and don't let a messed up business model make you love your bags any less.

I
ITA with all of this. I love to find a good deal at my outlet but what's more important to me, is getting the bag that I want, because I want it and not because it's at an outlet.

Even though Coach sends a great deal of it's merchandise (maybe even most of it) to the outlets, every single thing does not make it to every single outlet... There have been a couple of items I did not want to risk missing out on, so I purchased with pce and have no regrets.

Imo, Coach makes too much of everything: too many styles, too many colors and too many variations; so much so that the outlet destinations are inevitable. Stop over producing all this stuff Coach and maybe some of us will buy from the boutiques without hesitation.
 
I know how you feel! Last bag I bough at the boutique even with a pce it was selling at the outlet for less than half the original price 3 months after I purchased it. That was it for me. I truly felt
"Taken" or "hustled". I know coach is just another corporation and all that matters to them is the "bottom line" but That was the last coach I purchased and it was over a year ago. I've moved on to other brands, right now I'm loving Michael Kors.