Everything You Need To Know About Coach

This will be updated as I learn new things, check back often!

1.) There are two separate Coach stores
The Coach Boutique
The Coach Factory Store (AKA the outlet)

2.) Coach makes two types of bags
Bags and accessories for the boutique (AKA Full price or FP)
Bags and accessories made for factory stores on (AKA Made For Factory or MFF)

3.) Yes you can find Coach boutique items at the outlet from time to time at discounted prices, some times very good discounted prices.

4.) They do take Coach boutique bags and remake them for the factory. Take the poppy line for instance, they now have MFF Poppy bags.

5.) The outlet ALWAYS has a sale and ALWAYS hands out coupons at the door. The discounts range I've seen it as low as 20% and as high as 40% off. No you don't have to have to coupon in your hand at time of checkout, they take the discount off anyway.

6.) Yes those discounts can be stacked on top of already discounted items. Say there is a bag that is on the 50% off shelf so half the price (even if it is already marked down) then stack on whatever percentage off that is happening at the time. Need help computing the price, ask a SA they generally always have calculators in their hands!

7.) There are several ways to access an outlet.
Go to an actual factory store at a outlet mall where the sell goes on every day
Sign up and log on to the Coach factory store website when a online sell is happening.
Go to Ebay and they have a Coach factory store that you can sign into when online sells are happening.

8.) A lot of people seem to think there may be quality differences between boutique items and MFF items. I personally have not had any trouble and I've been buying coach boutique since around 2006 and Coach factory since 2007. I have had no quality issues and I use both my boutique items and MFF heavily  I generally use my MFF items more then my boutique items though. So zero quality issues to report on my end.

9.) A lot of people seem to think the SA (AKA Sales Associates) do a better job and are more personal at a boutique. However  I've been to both and I feel I get better service at the outlet then I do my boutique store. I guess it's all a matter of personal opinion and you just have to judge for yourself. Every outlet and boutique experience varys from store to store i'm sure. It's all in who you get for the day as a SA.

10.) If you are just getting into designer handbags, there are fakes! You have to be careful where you buy your items from. I know a lot of people know this, but hey when I first got into designer handbags back in 05-06 I didn't know there was a such thing as a fake. So a heads up for all the Coach newbies. Never buy so called Coach bags (or as I like to call them Foach bags AKA Fake Coach) from a flea market, the side of the road, in front of a grocery store, and be very wary of Coach from Ebay, amazon or any other online place Coach items may be sold. Before buying online, make sure it's real! ALWAYS get your Coach bag or accessory authenticated!

11.) When buying at a outlet always inspect your purchases before buying. I have seen dirty, and scuffed items on the shelf. Don't just assume they are perfectly fine before purchasing. Look at your bags especially on the bottoms of the bags.

12.) Generally the front of the outlet (as far as bags go) will hold the most MFF bags. Toward the back of the store will be the 50% off bags and FP deletes.

13.) Curious to know if they have a particular item before you go to your outlet? Call your closest outlet, you can have things placed on hold for you.

14) If you see something you like at the outlet but are not sure about it, grab it! Things go fast at the outlet, especially if it's busy. If you decide not to purchase you can always put it back later. I have been at a outlet seen something I might want, and there was 4 or 5 of them. I'd step away for 5 minutes or so and they would all be gone. If it's a good deal people will generally be all over it.

15.) Always leave a lot of time for Coach outlet shopping. Make several trips around the store before you decide.

16.) Don't see something you want or a color you want? Ask if it's in back, sometimes they have other merchandise in the back that is yet to be put out on the shelf.

17.) Not everything you will see at a Coach boutique will get shipped to the outlet. Some lines sell out fast and some don't.

18.) The creed on the inside of your Coach bag gives you more information then you might think.
The letters at the beginning of the creed stand for the month the bag was made.
A - Jan
B- Feb
C- Mar
D - April
E - May
F - Jun
G - July
H - Aug
I - Sept
J - Oct
K - Nov
L - Dec
If there is a F in the beginning of the last set of numbers in the creed it means it's a MFF bag. If there is no F then you have a FP bag

19.) Coach does send out special discount cards for FP items called PCE (preferred customer event), they send these out once in awhile. You have to be in the system to receive one meaning you have to have purchased from a boutique before.

20.) Ever so often Coach does put a bullseye on FP deletes. If you see 2 bullseyes on your item it generally means final sale. Not all FP deletes have the bullseye.

21.) To find the nearest Coach boutique or Coach Factory store simply go to coach.com and to to the store locator. You can either hunt to boutique or scroll and find the link that says search for coach factory stores.

22.) Can't find a bag you want at your closest outlet. Stalk outlets, call multiple ones until you find what you're looking for. They can ship you the items you want.

23.) Macy's has a F&F (Friends & Family) sale ever so often in which you can get discounts on Coach bags and accessories at Macy's.

24.) In the Online Factory Sale from Coach Factory you are only allowed 5 leather and 5 siggy and a total of 10 items. In order to add signature items, they had to be classified as 'signature'. Those are the ones that show 'this is a signature item' at the end of the list of specs.Some items even though they are signature, they are not considered signature. They don't have the 'this is a signature' note and they count them towards the other total.