Coach is going First Class.

 

寇驰要走高端路线。

 

The leather-goods maker¹ will no longer sell its handbags and purses at some "lower volume" department stores, the company announced Tuesday. The move comes in response to the brand's perceived diluted² appeal to wealthier shoppers amid mass market access.

 

According to Tuesday's announcement, Coach will stop selling to around 250 locations in North America as of 2017, and also strictly³ control any discounts that department stores can offer.

 

"While we understand that customers may use department stores for trial and shopping across brands, the high level of promotional impressions created negatively impacts our long-term brand health," said Chief Executive Victor Luis during a conference call with analysts⁴ this week.

 

Once a category crusher, the 75-year-old company was forced to rethink its strategy in 2014 after reporting four straight quarterly losses, with shares falling a total of 39 percent that year.

 

Those losses were partially⁵ attributed to the fact that Coach's loyal clientele had increasingly turned up its nose at the once-prestigious brand, whose less pricey CC line has been purchased in droves by younger consumers at steep discounts in malls and outlets⁶.

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