I know exactly what you mean! Around this region, Atlantic City used to be the exception with the outlet and retail store (which were just a few blocks from each other). Now the retail store there closed, and additional outlets have popped up very near retail stores in the state. I remember a manager at one of the stores in NJ was disgusted by all this because he said he couldn't sell what he had in his own store because of it, and when he did, so much of it was returned which affected the store's bottom line very negatively. The % he gave for outlet profits vs retail was a lot higher than listed in these articles too, but I don't know if that was accurate or it has changed, but I was shocked it was that high. There used to be a minimum radius required for outlets to be away from retail stores.
For me, I have mostly only ever liked retail bags, so that's what I always search out no matter whether it's retail or outlet, so I hate it when I see something I just bought for PCE price or full price that is being blown out at the outlet. And yes, they do need to reduce the number of floorsets. I think returns would be a lot less too because the thing is, you buy one bag and a couple of weeks later, another bag comes out you like better, so the first one goes back. It's an ongoing cycle that never ends. Not to mention their return policy was crazy, so I'm glad to see they have changed that at least (although I believe 30 days is enough time to decide if you like an item). I usually buy MK bags during their sales, and every time it's "final sale", which I completely understand.
I'm probably only a 10-yr customer or so, but since I have been buying Coach, PCEs have always been a joke with the selection process. They were rarely (if ever) really "preferred customer" events but rather scams to lure outlet shoppers into the retail stores. I've seen some retail stores be downright nasty about it to some customers and others beg you to use it (when not on the "list"). I've seen people that have spent THOUSANDS of dollars at Coach never get even one PCE! I have hated seeing how over the years the stores never have any consistency. Some stores allow exceptions and others don't. All they do is turn off a lot of their customer base. When I first started shopping Coach, I didn't even know about PCEs at all, but one day we got one in the mail. It had to be from shopping at the outlet because I was always a bargain shopper and never bought retail at that point. I got hit with the bug later and started buying a lot on PCE and even full price, so I guess that trick worked with me to some extent, but usually there were also exclusions early on. I remember a time you couldn't buy Legacy on all PCEs or other collections. And PCEs weren't all the time but just a few times during the year. I also remember when deletes were at least 6 months even getting to the outlets, so if you bought retail, at least you felt like you had your bag for a while before you got shafted paying retail or PCE price. I completed a lot of my older collection via the outlets, but it was way after the deletion in the beginning, so I didn't feel so bad about what I had from the retail stores.
The thing is, that model apparently didn't work for them either. So then they go the other extreme with more and more outlets popping up, quick and quicker delete send offs, and then weekly coupons in the retail stores. It was a slippery slope that became too slippery for them. Honestly, I think they've completely fallen down the hill at this point. Apparently nothing has worked along the way, so how am I supposed to feel as a customer now with their current Hail Mary pass attempt??? Honestly, I have to say I would purchase a lot more from the current collection than just a couple of bags if I had any faith at all that my purchases would be worth anything a few months from now. While I wish them well, and I expressed all of this at the retail store, I really have lost faith in the company. I can only say I hope I'm wrong, and I will watch how everything develops, but I am not going to continue to shoot myself in the foot either.
There are other brands I enjoy too.
I agree with all your points. Mass production and quick discounting will keep Coach from ever being considered a luxury brand.
