Coach Inc. is an American leather goods company. Coach began as a family-owned business in a loft in Manhattan, New York in 1941. It is famous for ladies' handbags, as well as items for both men and women, such as luggage, briefcases, wallets, and other accessories (belts, shoes, silk scarves, umbrellas, sunglasses, key chains, etc.). Coach also offers watches, footwear, and office furniture. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the Big Board, is a New York City-based stock exchange. ... For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article is about the state. ... For other uses, see Purse (disambiguation). ... This page is about timekeeping devices. ... High-heeled shoe Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... For the tax agency in Ireland of the same name, see Revenue Commissioners. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), also known as operating income and operating profit, is a term used to describe a companys earnings. ... Net income is equal to the income that a firm has after subtracting costs and expenses from the total revenue. ... This article is about work. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... For people named Leather, see Leather (surname). ... For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ... This article is about the state. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... This article is about the terms most basic meaning; a purse is also a race track term. ... The Luggage. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses of this word, see Silk (disambiguation). ...

History

The original designer for Coach as it is known today was the visionary American designer, Bonnie Cashin. In 1960, Miles and Lillian Cahn, the owners of a wholesale handbag manufacturing business, decided to create a retail collection. They asked Cashin to become their designer. She declined the project, as she was too busy with other design contracts. The Cahns declared they would not start the business without her. Ultimately, they waited two years for her to clear her calendar. In 1962, Cashin became the designer for their new label of leather accessories, Coach. Bonnie Cashin (1908 - 2000) is considered one of the most significant pioneers of designer ready-to-wear, more commonly called sportswear, in America. ...

In developing accessories functionally appropriate for her philosophy of contemporary dress, Cashin revolutionized the handbag industry. Her designs were akin to modern sculpture, dyed to match her favorite candy colors of pink, orange, yellow and green, and lined with exquisite Belgian linens, Mexican cottons, or tweeds designed by her friend and mentor, textile designer Dorothy Liebes. After years of rigid black and brown accessories, clients - and the craftsmen in the Coach factory - raved about the variety of shapes, colors and textures available in the new "Cashin-Carry" designs, all with convenient wide openings or exterior coin purses and pockets.

Then rare for the handbag business, Cashin also designed matching wallets, cosmetic bags, key fobs, and eyewear. Most famously, she pioneered the use of hardware on her clothes and accessories alike, particularly the brass toggle that became the Coach hallmark. Inspired by Cashin's memory of quickly battening down the top on her convertible sports car, the adaptation of this automotive closure to luxury women's accessories was a typical example of Cashin's search for design solutions outside of fashion.

Repairs

Coach will repair any authentic Coach bag or Coach accessory regardless of the reason of disrepair. Coach products have a lifetime guarantee for the life of the handbag or accessory. Coach only charges a small $20 fee for the shipping and handling of the item. Coach understands the wear and tear of everyday life on Coach handbags and accessories and will do everything in its power to repair such discrepancies. When a damaged bag is sent out, an evaluator assesses the damage and determines whether or not the product can be repaired. This assessment is not based on the nature in which the bag was damaged but instead how it can be fixed. If the item cannot be repaired, Coach will send either a brand new item of the same make, a voucher for the value of the bag, or a sizable discount off the next purchase. Coach will only send the damaged bag back to a customer upon special request. Coach values the integrity of its products and prefers to not have a bag in disrepair promoting the Coach name.

Collections

A curious characteristic of the company is its very high profit margins, which are several times higher than its competitor designer brands. Presumably, this is due to the fact that among high-end fashion companies, Coach is somewhat of an oddity with its long production runs (the number of items of each design that are produced). With longer production runs, Coach is able to take better advantage of economies of scale than its higher priced and less profitable counterparts. Further, Coach utilizes lower-cost production facilities in developing countries such as China and the Dominican Republic. Profit margin is a measure of profitability. ...

Product Locations

Currently, there are over 300 Coach stores in the United States and Canada. Business analysts also attribute the continuing success of Coach to the fact that it has found a place in the niche market known as 'affordable luxury,' wherein a brand is recognizable as a luxury product but is priced such that it is accessible to the budget conscious. Overseas sales for the American leather company have also remained strong, especially in the Japanese market. Coach also operates nearly 200 locations in 19 countries outside of the United States and Canada. Some of these countries include: Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Taiwan, Portugal and more.

External links

• Official Coach website