The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

The unknown leads to a journey of 80 years

Coach, an American brand known for their luxury leather products made with sophistication, has experienced many rises and falls throughout the eight decades of their company. From being the status quo in the early 1990s to their drastic decline in the early 2010s, Coach was able to adapt to its stature in the competitive world of fashion.

The company was founded in 1941 in a Manhattan loft and began as a family-run workshop that strictly produced leather goods. The brand’s commitment to quality craftsmanship and timeless design quickly gained attention in the early 1960s. After the 1960s, Coach began to establish itself as an American luxury brand. Because of their 80 years of striving to make affordable leather items, the company owns 986 stores across the globe.

The Golden Era: Coach’s Ascendancy

Coach’s turning point happened during the earliest moments of 1985. The Sara Lee Corporation acquired the family company, bringing in better resources and new campaign strategies that propelled the brand to the newest heights. Five years later, the 1990s marked Coach’s “golden era.”

Under CEO Lew Frankfort, the company began to expand its product line and overall global presence. The coveted status quo was the Coach handbag, which became known for its durability and chic aesthetic. The brand’s consumer base drove the sales growth and even expanded its market share.

Chic “C” Status FLOPS

It all started with the intense competition from fast fashion and the way that it would appear to compete with other companies. Brands such as H&M and Zara were able to adapt to the fast trends which left Coach in the dust unable to compete with their lower prices. Michael Kors and Kate Spade provided a similar experience as Coach by sticking to what resonated with the market. To drive sales volumes, Coach expanded into the realm of outlet malls and offered deep discounts. While this strategy bolstered revenue, it diluted the brand’s luxury image due to the concerns of regular customers. These customers began to view the brand as overly accessible and lacking the exclusivity that it previously held.

The fashion industry in the early 2010s saw dramatic shifts towards fast fashion and new edgy designs that were being consumed by the target audience (typically Gen Z and Gen Alpha). Coach’s traditional perspective on the fashion industry made their company feel outdated compared to their competitors. Coach’s failure was based on their slow adaptation to fresh creative designs and product lines. The overall disconnect between rich leather products and consumerism led to a decline in sales and market shares, and the slow build of setting the stage for a new pathway to success.

Want to explore more information about the company’s rebrand? Read this Her Camper Article About “Coachtopia”.

Strategic Reinvention OF COACH

After the decline in sales from their tarnished brand image, Coach was able to make a turnaround with new CEO Victor Luis. This new turnaround followed several key initiatives:

A Cute Refresh

Coach was able to refresh their product lines in terms of reintroducing contemporary designs and collaborating with high fashion designers, musicians, actors and names such as Disney and Peanuts, to generate a new audience and increase consumerism. It was up to Stuart Vevers, their creative director in 2013, to bring life back into the entire brand and collections coming out that year.

Retail Experience

Coach wanted to broaden their brand experience by integrating luxury and being immersive. This worked because the company focused on flagship stores while redesigning craftsmanship and personalized customer service. Applying these changes led to the brand’s new premium image. Soon, customers were becoming more and more attracted.

A Luxury Discount

An important aspect of this turnaround was the decision to hold back on discounting their products. The limitations of the availability of products in stores like outlets drew down sales promotions. At first, Coach thought that it would be all right to use sale promotions for things like rebranding and reaching a wider audience; however, it aimed to elevate the overall value of what was being made and sold.

Cutesy Categories

The diversity at Coach is the brand’s reason to reach beyond just its cutesy leather handbags and cute school backpacks. The growth of the company allowed them to expand to other regions of consumerism, such as apparel, footwear, and even manly bags with dark colors. This strategy was used to build additional revenue, yet it is still being reinforced by Coach’s perspective of being a “comprehensive lifestyle brand.”

The Transformation from Bad to Good Marketing

Because we are in the 21st century, it is the age of social media. Coach thought it was a good idea for the company to focus heavily on the e-commerce and digital marketing realms. The brand was able to launch social media platforms, involve themselves in partnerships, and run data-driven marketing campaigns. In the age of the coronavirus, the online shopping experience helped Coach engage with their audiences.

Woman with shopping bags — Photo by freestocks from Unsplash

The Resurgence from bags to umbrellas

In late 2010, Coach was finally successful and it caused a resurgence in both brand perception and in consumerism. The rebranding caused innovative product designs and shifted the focus to quality. This resonated with consumers in the fashion industry.

In 2017 with Coach’s newest rebrand, they were able to rebrand as Tapestry Inc, a huge umbrella company that works with many of Coach’s competitors. This method allowed for this new corporation to leverage between brands and watch growth via stocks and overall efficiencies. In 2024, Coach is one of the most prominent companies in the fashion industry. Due to their success since 2017, they have been able to maintain trends valuable to the market with the precaution of consumer preferences.

neon sign — Photo by Ian Kim from Unsplash

SUCCESS LOOKS PRETTY ON YOU

By watching the fall and the rise of Coach, we as handbag consumers can have a small peak into the fashion industry by looking at their journey.

Coach’s downfall to their high success is an important lesson of innovation, planning strategies through economic structures, and shows a deeper understanding of consumer behaviors.

The Fall And Rise Of Coach