Buy Coach (COH)

Listening to the management team at Coach (COH) talk about the company’s business is an odd experience. This “fashion” company spends a lot of time talking about “engineering” its products and building production and distribution “infrastructure.” (Want to hear a sample of Coach-speak? Tune into the company’s presentation at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer and Retail Conference here http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=122587&p=irol-eventDetails&EventId=2532032 )

And that’s a major reason that I want to buy Coach shares in the current tough environment for luxury goods. Anybody can roll out a new product at a lower price point designed to appeal to value-conscious luxury-goods buyers (now there’s a phrase I never thought I’d write), but it takes a company like Coach to introduce the new $300 Poppy handbag lines and “engineer” gross margins higher at a lower selling price. For why you want some cost-cutting growth companies in your portfolio now see my post http://jubakpicks.com/2009/11/20/nervous-afraid-to-stay-in-but-scared-to-get-out-join-the-club-and-read-my-three-strategies-for-coping/ )