how brands like Milani Cosmetics and American Eagle have been teaming up with female athletes to tap into the power of uplifting marketing initiatives, Coach’s WNBA partnership is the latest example of the brand showing up for a younger generation of self-expressive shoppers.  “Coach and the WNBA share a belief in the power of self-expression,” Coach’s chief marketing officer Joon Silverstein remarked.  “We’re excited to partner with this league, an organization that uniquely champions individuality, and to support these courageous athletes who are breaking molds both on and off the court, inspiring our audiences to embrace the many possibilities of who they are and who they can be.” Self-expression, in general, seems to be the secret behind the fashion brand’s comeback in recent years. Since 2015, when Coach announced a disastrous 13 per cent dip in net sales, executives, including Joon and Giovanni Zaccariello, Coach’s senior vice president of global visual experience, have managed to come up with a winning blueprint to reel back in the brand’s Y2K-era shoppers and its ever-growing Gen Z fan base.  From a focus on launching intriguing store concepts, such as the Coach Play, to leaning into product customization options to launching hyper-niche but popular items, Coach has managed to rebuild its “cool kid” status and reported an impressive 11 per cent increase in revenue year-on-year. Leading through intriguing in-store experiences  At the 2025 Shoptalk conference, Zaccariello remarked that Coach, like many brands currently experiencing a comeback moment, began an era of “experimentation”, especially with in-store design and events.  From aesthetically designed third spaces, like the Coach coffee shop, to more interactive settings, such as the Coach Play store, Zaccariello explained that it was important for the brand to create humanized and personalized shopping experiences for its customers, especially those within the Gen Z age group. “One of the things that we have tested in Coach Play is the idea of creating the human connection in the store,” Zaccariello recalled. For those unfamiliar with Coach Play, it is an experiential retail concept that emphasizes customer engagement and interaction with store associates and fellow Coach enthusiasts.  Zaccariello detailed that each Coach Play store manager is in charge of curating the events and activations that work best for their specific shop, which has proved to be an effective strategy. That’s because human connection comes first when it comes to providing great customer service in the retail industry, explained Zaccariello. “We see customers spending more money when they’re spending time with us, whether it’s through a music or a customization event… When people see a crowd [in store], they want to be where the crowd is because that’s where the fun is,” the Coach executive emphasized.  How Coach executed a successful comeback plan As Neil Saunders, Global Data’s managing director, observed, “Coach has been a star performer over the past few years. It has bucked the luxury and premium slowdown and produced growth at a time when many others are struggling. Part of the success is the growing traction with younger consumers.” Saunders explained that Coach’s “marketing focused on self-expression and emotional storytelling has especially strong resonance with younger generations, and this has been one of the keys to success for Coach.” He added that the brand has inserted itself into cultural moments and conversations, putting it on the radar of younger generations.  “The fact it is an affordable and accessible luxury helps to drive conversion among a demographic that often has a limited budget. All of these things have been part of a deliberately engineered strategy to grow the audience of the brand,” Saunders concluded.  Melissa Minkow, CI&T’s global director of retail strategy, noted that a successful retail comeback story always depends on two key factors: relevance and engaging marketing efforts.  “Coach revamped its offering to reflect the trends its shoppers wanted to buy, and it’s done so for a consistent amount of time now,” Minkow said. From the brightly-colored and sustainably designed items from the brand’s Coachtopia line to more niche items, like the brand’s Dino Kisslock Frame Bag, which sold out within minutes of its online launch, to traditional ones like the relaunch of the classic Coach Tabby, Coach offers a wide range of designs at varying pricepoints to draw in consumers.  “Coach’s newly announced partnership with the WNBA, Coachtopia and the innovative livestreaming the brand does overseas all do a great job socializing the trendy assortment and signaling to its target audience that it’s on-trend,” Minkow said.