Quality of Products from Coach Factory Store

[polandspringuy]

Can anyone speak to the quality of products from the Coach factory store? Are they similar to Brooks Brothers and their '346' line, where the factory store item is inferior to what you would find at their normal retail store? I ask because I recently purchased a leather 'cabin' travel bag from a factory store and was curious to know if the quality of this is comparable to what I would find at their retail store (i.e. will it last as long). I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell on my own...

Thanks in advance.

 

[lifersfc]

Coach definitely has some mainline goods in the store, though I am not sure if all of them are from the retail stores. I went to buy a belt at the boutique, only to find that they had moved all their fall stock to the outlet store. Ended up getting the belt for like 50% off.

 

[StevenRocks]

A lot of what is in Coach Factory Stores is made for Coach specifically for those stores. There are a few short-cuts taken in design and materials, to be sure, which could lead to a shorter life-span than the full-price merchandise, but it really depends on what you buy and how you use it.

You also have to factor in the difference in price: Generally the Factory Store merchandise is at least 25% cheaper than full-price Coach merchandise.

 

[zjpj83]

Originally Posted by StevenRocks

A lot of what is in Coach Factory Stores is made for Coach specifically for those stores. There are a few short-cuts taken in design and materials, to be sure, which could lead to a shorter life-span than the full-price merchandise, but it really depends on what you buy and how you use it.

You also have to factor in the difference in price: Generally the Factory Store merchandise is at least 25% cheaper than full-price Coach merchandise.
I agree - particularly some of the women's purses. The leather is course and frankly very bad.

I have found that prices are NOT very good either. Their briefcases that are usually $500 are marked down to like $450 - at least at the Coach outlets by me.

 

[billiebob]

I have a brown leather cabin bag, the brown Fulton briefcase, and a zippered portfolio from a Coach outlet. I stacked 3 discounts from retail (outlet std discount, outlet clearance sale, breast cancer benefit promotion) for a total of around 60% off in 2005. This was at Riverhead, LI

Quality has been great for the briefcase and portfolio. The leather on the cabin bag is a step down. I'm very pleased for what I paid. I would like to compare it to a fold-over briefcase from that customhide place, which looks to be of even better quality and retails for ~$230.

Lots of stuff seems different for the Coach outlets, but sometimes it's hard to tell because of seasonality in collections. The handbags and wristlets, men's wallets, belts and accessories may be specifically made for the outlets.

 

[hermes]

i read an article about this a few months ago

coach admitted that something like 80% of the goods in their outlet stores are made specifically for the outlet with the 20% balance being overruns or seasonal leftovers from the retail stores

coach stands by the quality of the goods for their outlets and that it meets their quality guidelines (whatever that is) but there has to be some compromise in quality and manufacture in order to be able to offer the goods at the outlet at the outlet prices

the concern in the article was that coach was now deriving more income from the outlet stores than from their retail stores and that it was the start of the watering down of the brand but coach was defending it with the statement that their customers for the outlet stores are not customers of their retail stores (and their average retail customer doesn't shop at their outlets) so they are satisfying two markets, or something to that effect

 

[pfr0g]

Coach quality is garbage, even at the full retail store. The leather they use is, IMHO, is crap. I would recommend the Cole Hann outlet or Cole Hann in general at that price point. Although some people might think that Cole Hann is garbage

 

[Englandmj7]

Originally Posted by pfr0g

Coach quality is garbage, even at the full retail store. The leather they use is, IMHO, is crap. I would recommend the Cole Hann outlet or Cole Hann in general at that price point. Although some people might think that Cole Hann is garbage

Hmm....maybe you had a poor experience. My wife is, unfortunately for my wallet, a Coach collector and has had many of their bags for 5+ years that experience heavy use and still look brand new. I think they use pretty good quality leather.

Either way, the Coach factory store, as others have said is a bit silly. Basically you are getting odd pieces at very small discounts. Not very impressive.