Since 2022, Coach has engineered an impressive revival among younger consumers, reshaping its image from “mum’s brand” into an affordable luxury brand for Gen Z. The launch of Coach’s “Expressive Luxury” vision centered around authenticity and appealing to the younger consumer played a key role in that shift.
Coach owes much of its resurgence to TikTok, where viral vintage hauls and styling videos showcase pieces like the Tabby. This trend helped convert Coach into what many consider Gen Z’s go‑to bag.
At the same time, the launch of its Coachtopia line – born out of upcycled and recycled leathers – reinforces sustainability messaging without sacrificing the aesthetic Gen Z loves.
In 2024, Creative Director, Stuart Vevers, brought a bold idea to life… enter ‘Coach Coffee Shop.’ First Piloted in Jakarta, the concept combined a full‑service steakhouse with an adjoining café styled after a New York corner store, complete with industrial design and a mascot called Lil Miss Jo.
This move marked the brand’s first move into the hospitality space, aimed at turning Coach stores into experiential lounges, not just fashion destinations. It’s an extreme version of “shop, sip, and stay a while”, designed to make Coach feel more like a lifestyle and not just a label.
Coach expanded the café concept in the U.S. with two locations in New Jersey and Austin, Texas. These cafés are positioned as marketing tools disguised as restaurants which encourage community amongst consumers and Coach now plans to open 20 cafés in outlet and retail stores over the next 12 months and more beyond that.
The brand estimates these cafés will increase consideration time, which suggests the longer shoppers stay in a Coach location, the higher the chance they make a purchase. They can contemplate the style, colour and accessories whilst sipping on a matcha latte. As CEO Todd Kahn said: “It’s not just a marketing initiative; it’s a commercial idea.”
This is a move that follows Ralph Lauren’s “Ralph’s Coffee,” but tilting the model toward outlet‑mall foot traffic, not city flagship stores. Their food and beverage division is helmed by Marcus Sanders, who joined after serving as Vice President of Ralph Lauren Hospitality.
So as Coach continues to expand into hospitality alongside its mainline leather business, its decades‑old marketing maxim stands: good leather is forever. But now, so is Coffee Shop Culture.
