More talk from the SAs about the limited quantity of bags

greyhoundgal

greyhoundgal

Member
Mar 5, 2006
625
0
#1
I went to my favorite FP boutique today and got the Cambridge Hobo in Amber/Plum. My SA was giving me a hard time (joking, not mean) because I was in to get my Cambridge bags before they had even been out for 24 hours. I made a comment about all of the stores running out of bags so quickly. The SA said that Coach is really limiting their distribution of bags. All stores are only getting two to three of each bag (one of which is meant to be the display). She said they are doing that because they are trying to get to the point where there aren't any deletes at the outlet and also trying to keep from saturating the market so that the customers don't see the bag they are carrying on everyone else they see. I know the first few times I heard this I thougt "yeah right" but now I am not so sure. I have noticed this trend of limited distribution since the Poppy line came out. I have had several occasions where I have not been able to get the bag I wanted because the store had already sold out of the 2 that the had gotten. I am lucky that there a whole lot of stores in my area so I can usually go down the road and find a store that has the bag I want, but I know a lot of folks don't have access to more than one store.
I am somewhat afraid that the days of our wonderful outlet deals may be over soon. I hope I am wrong...
sorry this was so long
 
#3
I posted about this about a week ago and when I went to the boutique again yesterday, she did reiterate what you said. Apparently the only way the outlet is going to get a FP bag is that if someone returns a FP bag to that outlet. They're doing this in conjunction with making lines for the factory only (like someone posted about the Nancy line) to keep Factory separate from Boutique.

I don't know what this means for the last few bags left of each line or returns of bags in the past - supposedly they're supposed to go back to JAX warehouse in case someone needs a bag replaced due to defect or something? The SA was just guessing on this last part.

They only made 300 graphite parker hippies and the SA told me they're down to 100 (as of yesterday and the store didn't even get the shipment for the floor yet) and they'll probably only get 3 (at the most).
 
#6
They're gonna be sorry!!! I TRULY BELIEVE THIS!!! I can see cutting back so that the outlets aren't SATURATED with the boutique bags. COACH has created this monster, now they have to back peddel and people aren't gonna be happy. I don't even HAVE a boutique within a 2 1/2 - 3 hr drive. I don't like buying without seeing IRL and Dillards carries very few bags, no keychains or scarves and mostly signature.

We'll see. I won't shop for new Coach at all. Not because they did this, but because they are taking away my ONLY options!!!
 
#7
That probably explains why my Coach hasn't even gotten the Brooke in yet. Even so, it'll most likely be gone before I can even take a glimpse at her. Still, it's a good thing that they are trying to make the bags stand out from the rest. I get tired seeing everyone carry the same exact Coach bags everywhere.

I'm glad Coach is deciding to make MFF bags instead of constantly sending Boutique sets there. But at the same time it's a shame, though. No more Boutique bags at full discounts! Would have been awesome to get a Brooke at Outlet price!
 
#8
I have very mixed feelings about this...

On the one hand, I'm glad Coach is cutting back on the number of bags they produce per style since the market is definitely oversaturated. How else to explain the crazy amount of deletes that we have all been finding at the outlets this year? Also, there's a part of me that always felt taken when someone else scored the same bag I had bought at the boutique (Sabrina, Julianne, Leah, Parker) for WAY less at an outlet. I was happy for that person but I still felt indignation. This has really discouraged me from buying at times.

Of course, I'm bummed that I won't be able to score some good outlet deals (like Lindsay, Lily, and Bridget). But looking back I wonder how much money I would have saved had I not seen the bag at the outlet and bought it because the deal was too good to be true...Lindsay comes to mind...there is NO way I would have paid $798 at the boutique even with PCE. Of course, I love my Lindsay but TBH I don't think I would have bought her for more than I did. Yet, I probably would have bought Lily for FP and not regretted it.

Anyhow, this is my very long-winded way of saying that IMHO this development is a double-edged sword.
 
#9
They sent out surveys to alot of Coach Buyers. They are responding to the surveys and to the economy.

Alot of people here complained about the issues mentioned and now they are responding.

I do think it is a bad idea for Coach though. You are going to see alot of outlets closing. JMHO.
 
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#10
Honestly, I think tpf members are in the minority of outlet shoppers. I think a lot of people don't understand the difference between MFF and boutique bags. Also, I think the outlets tend to cater to the crowd that wants people to see they are carrying a Coach, so they gravitate towards signature rather than leather. Whenever I go to the outlets, no matter how crowded it is, I am usually the only person carrying boutique deletes or leather bags unless the boutique deletes are reduced so much that they are priced as low as or lower than the cost of the MFF bags. Even then, 95% of the people still opt for the signature bags.

It seems to me at least, that they are trying to have a bigger separation between the two lines. I'd imagine they are also trying to keep customers who are willing to pay full price happy by not having a bag they paid full price for 2 weeks ago show up in the outlets on clearance. (Considering how quickly the dark coral patent Zoes hit the outlets, that turnaround time is not an exaggeration.)
 
#11
I hope it isn't true, I love shopping at the outlet. But I've bought a few FP bags recently just in case because I really love them and I'm not taking any chances. I took my DD to the outlet recently and she really liked two bags, one MFF and one boutique (Zoe), I convinced her to go with the Zoe because of the quality difference. And the MFF bag was actually more expensive, but I tried to explain to her how much better the Zoe was and why.
 
#12
I have mixed feelings as well...

One one hand I don't like to buy a $500 bag and see it at the outlet 2 months later for %50 off, but on the other hand, I'd like to be able to "save" some money at times and get a good deal as well.... I don't like MFF stuff, and as much as I have tried, it all has ended up on the *bay bkz I just didn't see the same quality and craftmanship as I did in the FP boutique items.

Another mean thing is- at this point i need a lot of money for my upcoming baby (hey the pump alone costs $300-$400 plus other stuff) and I don't have much extra for coach, so how in the world am I supposed to save up $600 in 2 weeks before the items come to stores? By the time they've come to stores and I have the money- they are most likely to be sold out already, and I'm leaving coach if I can't get what I am wanting....! So why not go to LV if coach can't deliver by the time I have the money? That's another thought of mine. I like some of their stuff, but If i can't get it- I will find another brand that i CAN get when I do have funds available. I'm not going into CC debt over coach!
 
#13
I guess if the bags don't end up at the outlet, I will never see them as I do not shop full price. What I don't know won't hurt me. I will eventually lose all interest in the outlets if all they have are MFF bags.
 
#14
oopsididitagain said:
I guess if the bags don't end up at the outlet, I will never see them as I do not shop full price. What I don't know won't hurt me. I will eventually lose all interest in the outlets if all they have are MFF bags.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this. I love outlet shopping now, but only because I can get the boutique bags at such a discount. I agree w/the above poster who commented about the usual outlet shoppers too - I am usually the only one in my outlet looking at the boutique deletes or the leather bags. The main outlet shoppers, imo, are all about the signature pieces. They really dont know the difference between boutique deletes and MFF bags.
 
#15
Oops, Donna & others who have commented I totally agree. Maybe this is the best thing Coach could do for me. I have spent quite a bit building a collection of Zoes wallets, wristlets & Parkers since the 20% coupon blitz hit the stores in June & has continued thru August.

Having learned om this forum, I won't be satisfied with the MMF versions of many of the items & I have enough to last me a lifetime. I'll go back to ebay, but I'll stay out of the outlets. I am close to an hour from both my "closest" outlets & no FP store in the area say 3+ hrs.

I returned a FP item I had ordered from JAX yesterday & it never made it to the floor. One of the SAs bought it for herself. I was standing right there when she said she was putting her name on it. I bet that happens a lot.
 
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