Coach: Designer brand admits destroying its own bags (2024)

A designer brand has admitted to destroying its own products. Coach confirmed that it purposely ripped up bags that were returned to its stores, even if the bags were still in good condition.

Anna Sacks, who runs a series of social media accounts calling for more sustainable fashion, claimed the bags were destroyed so that Coach could save money on their taxes, by claiming back money for unsold damaged items.

The brand has admitted that it used to happen but said it won't destroy in-store returns anymore.

Coach is a company which sells high-end fashion bags that go for hundreds, if not thousands of pounds each.

It's a popular brand with celebrities like Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Emma Watson and Yara Shahidi.

But the practice of damaging their own products has brought them negative attention.

Sacks described what she believes to be the brand's practice in a video.

Holding up a series of Coach bags with massive cuts through the fabric, she commented "This is what [Coach] do with unwanted merchandise.

"They order an employee to deliberately slash it so that nobody can use it."

Many people have been criticising Coach after watching the video, saying that it is bad for the planet.

Coach has put out a statement in response to the criticism.

A spokesperson said: "We are committed to sustainability.

"We have now ceased destroying in-store returns of damaged and unsalable goods and are dedicated to maximizing such products reuse in our Coach (Re)Loved and other circularity programs."

Some have welcomed the news, but other people have said that Coach have only made the change because they've "been caught".

This is not the first time that a fashion brand has been found to destroy its own products instead of restoring or selling them.

Shoe brand Nike was accused by The New York Times of slashing shoes to prevent them being resold in 2017.

A Nike spokesperson at the time told The New York Times, "Some product didn't meet our standards to restock, recycle, or donate so it was disposed of."

And in 2018, it was discovered that Burberry destroyed unsold clothes, accessories and perfume worth £28.6 million.

The high-end fashion brand said they did this to keep the items from being stolen or sold for a cheaper price, which they believe would devalue their brand.

Burberry banned the practice in 2018.