Todd Kahn (Coach) on Winning Gen Z, Shrinking to Grow, and the Brand Turnaround That Changed Everything
Social Currency with Sammi CohenShow Notes
Todd Kahn took over the commercial responsibility for Coach in March of 2020. Two weeks later, he closed all North America stores.
Today, Coach CEO Todd Kahn sits down with Sammi to break down the strategy behind one of fashion’s biggest brand turnarounds, and why Coach had to do the exact opposite of conventional growth advice to pull it off. He explains why trying to be “for everyone” almost destroyed the brand, how flash sales quietly trained customers to wait for discounts, and why the company stopped greeting shoppers with coupons entirely during the pandemic.
Todd also shares how Coach rebuilt itself for Gen Z through “expressive luxury,” viral bags like the Tabby and Brooklyn, immersive retail experiences, and unexpected ideas like coffee shops, book charms, and co-creation stations inside stores. Plus: the real reason Gen Z shops in person more than people think, why virality can’t be engineered, and the internal operating system Todd uses to run a nearly $7 billion business.
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Here’s What Sammi Covers with Todd:
00:00 Todd Kahn’s Social Currency
02:30 From Corporate Lawyer to Coach CEO
07:52 Joining Coach During the Financial Crisis
10:00 What Actually Went Wrong at Coach
14:00 Flash Sales, Discounting, and Brand Dilution
15:00 Hiring Stuart Vevers and Resetting Creativity
19:00 Rediscovering Coach’s Brand Codes
20:44 Why Coach Focused on Gen Z
23:00 Closing 250 Stores to Save the Brand
24:00 Why “Stores Are Commercial Activities”
26:00 Cutting 40% of the Assortment
27:10 The “Timeless Gen Z” Strategy
28:40 Taking Over Coach Right Before COVID
29:50 Why Coach Stopped Leading with Discounts
30:20 Building a Billion-Dollar Digital Business
31:00 Why People Bought Handbags During Lockdown
32:00 From Performance Marketing to Brand Building
33:00 Bringing 2.9 Million New Customers Into Coach
34:00 Why Coach Wants to Be Your First Luxury Bag
35:30 The Real Story Behind Bag Charm Mania
38:00 What Actually Creates Virality
39:45 Why Coach Only Does Two Big Campaigns a Year
40:00 What “Expressive Luxury” Really Means
42:00 Why Gen Z Loves Shopping In Person
43:00 Coach Play Stores and Experiential Retail
44:00 The Business Strategy Behind Coach Coffee Shops
47:30 Todd’s Operating System for Leadership
50:22 The Story Behind Coach’s Viral Book Charms
52:00 Why Gen Z Is Returning to Books and Community
Thanks to Mercury for sponsoring this episode! mercury.com
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