Is Kate Spade Outlet a subsidiary of Tapestry, Inc.?

Kate Spade Outlet is not a separate subsidiary. It is a retail channel within the Kate Spade brand, which is owned by Tapestry, Inc. The outlet division does not have separate legal status. All merchandising, pricing, and operational decisions are made by Kate Spade's brand management team within Tapestry's corporate structure.

Is Kate Spade Outlet publicly traded?

Kate Spade Outlet is not publicly traded. Parent company Tapestry, Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TPR. Investors who want exposure to Kate Spade Outlet can buy Tapestry shares, but the outlet channel's financial performance is not reported separately from the Kate Spade brand's results.

When was Kate Spade Outlet founded?

Kate Spade Outlet stores began opening in the early 2010s as Kate Spade expanded its distribution to include outlet channels. The exact founding year is approximately 2010. Tapestry acquired Kate Spade, including its outlet operations, in 2017 for $2.4 billion.

Are Kate Spade Outlet products authentic?

Yes, Kate Spade Outlet products are authentic Kate Spade merchandise. The outlet sells genuine Kate Spade products at reduced prices. These include prior-season merchandise, overstock, and some outlet-exclusive products. Tapestry has been reducing outlet-exclusive product development in favor of selling prior-season inventory through the outlet channel.

What is the difference between Kate Spade and Kate Spade Outlet?

Kate Spade is the full-price brand sold through Kate Spade retail stores, department stores, and katespade.com. Kate Spade Outlet is the discount channel that sells prior-season merchandise, overstock, and some outlet-specific products at reduced prices through outlet stores and katespadeoutlet.com. Outlet prices typically range from 30% to 70% below full-price retail.

Fashion & Apparel

Who Owns Kate Spade Outlet?

Q: Who owns Kate Spade Outlet?

Kate Spade Outlet is owned by Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE: TPR), which acquired Kate Spade in 2017 for $2.4 billion. Tapestry also owns Coach and Stuart Weitzman. Kate Spade Outlet operates as a retail channel within the Kate Spade brand, not as a separate company.

Kate Spade Outlet is owned by Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE: TPR), a publicly traded American fashion holding company. The outlet division sells discounted Kate Spade merchandise through over 150 outlet stores and online. Tapestry acquired Kate Spade in 2017 for $2.4 billion. Kate Spade Outlet operates as a value channel within the Kate Spade brand, not as a separate company.

Parent Company

Tapestry, Inc.

Acquired

2017

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

New York, New York, USA

Kate Spade Outlet Timeline

1941

Tapestry, Inc.

Parent company established in New York, New York, USA

Company Founded

2010

Kate Spade Outlet

Founded by Tapestry, Inc. (internal division)

Founded

2017

Acquired by Tapestry, Inc.

Tapestry, Inc. acquired Kate Spade Outlet

Acquired

mid rangemass marketNorth AmericawomensOfficial Website

Who Owns Kate Spade Outlet?

Parent Company: Tapestry, Inc.
Ownership Type: Wholly owned
Acquisition Year: 2017
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: NYSE: TPR

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Kate Spade Outlet	Tapestry, Inc.	Wholly owned

Where to Buy

Disclosure: We may earn commission from purchases

Kate Spade Outlet on Amazon

History of Kate Spade Outlet

Founded: 2010
Founders: Tapestry, Inc. (internal division)
Acquired by Tapestry, Inc.: 2017

Kate Spade was founded in 1993 by Katherine Noel Brosnahan (known as Kate Spade) and her husband Andy Spade in New York City. The brand launched with six handbag designs that combined clean lines, practical functionality, and playful colors. The bags were priced below luxury competitors like Prada and Louis Vuitton but above mass-market brands. This accessible luxury positioning resonated with young professional women in the 1990s.

Kate and Andy Spade sold a majority stake to Neiman Marcus Group in 1999. Liz Claiborne (later renamed Kate Spade & Company) acquired the remaining stake in 2006. Kate Spade herself left the brand in 2007.

Kate Spade Outlet stores began opening in the early 2010s. The outlet channel served two purposes: clearing excess inventory and prior-season merchandise, and reaching price-sensitive consumers who aspired to the brand but could not afford full-price retail. Outlet stores were typically located in premium outlet centers operated by Simon Property Group and Tanger Factory Outlet Centers.

Coach, Inc. acquired Kate Spade & Company in 2017 for $2.4 billion. The acquisition brought Kate Spade into a portfolio that already included Coach and Stuart Weitzman. Coach, Inc. rebranded as Tapestry, Inc. later that year. The Kate Spade Outlet chain became part of Tapestry's retail network.

Under Tapestry's ownership, Kate Spade Outlet expanded to over 150 stores. However, Tapestry has also worked to reduce the outlet channel's contribution to Kate Spade's revenue. The company has shifted away from producing outlet-exclusive products and focused on selling prior-season merchandise and overstock. This strategy aims to protect Kate Spade's brand equity while maintaining the outlet channel's revenue contribution.

Kate Spade, the brand's founder, died by suicide on June 5, 2018. Her death prompted widespread media coverage and renewed attention to the brand she created. The Kate Spade brand continues to operate under Tapestry's ownership, with the outlet division remaining an important sales channel.

In 2024, Tapestry abandoned its proposed $8.5 billion acquisition of Capri Holdings after the Federal Trade Commission blocked the deal on antitrust grounds. The failed acquisition left Tapestry's portfolio unchanged, with Kate Spade Outlet continuing as a key retail channel.

About Tapestry, Inc.

What does Tapestry, Inc. own?
Tapestry, Inc. owns two brands: Coach and Kate Spade. The company sold Stuart Weitzman to Caleres on August 4, 2025 for $105 million in cash. Tapestry also operates outlet store formats for both Coach and Kate Spade, but these are distribution channels rather than separate brands.

Is Tapestry, Inc. publicly traded?
Yes. Tapestry, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker TPR. The company was originally spun off from Sara Lee Corporation in 2000 as Coach, Inc. and was renamed Tapestry, Inc. in October 2017.

Who founded Tapestry, Inc.?
Tapestry was founded in 1941 as Coach by Miles and Lillian Cahn in New York City. The Cahns started the business as a small leather goods workshop. The company was later acquired by Sara Lee Corporation in 1985 and spun off as an independent public company in 2000.

Where is Tapestry, Inc. headquartered?
Tapestry, Inc. is headquartered in New York, New York, USA. The company is incorporated in Maryland.

How many brands does Tapestry, Inc. own?
Tapestry owns 2 brands: Coach and Kate Spade. The company previously owned Stuart Weitzman but sold the brand to Caleres in August 2025.

Who owns Tapestry, Inc.?
Tapestry, Inc. is owned by institutional investors, mutual funds, and individual shareholders. Major institutional holders include Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street Corporation. No single shareholder holds a controlling stake, and all shares carry equal voting rights.

What is Tapestry, Inc.'s revenue?
Tapestry reported record annual revenue of $7.01 billion in fiscal year 2025 (ended June 28, 2025). The company raised its FY2026 revenue outlook to approximately $7.95 billion in May 2026, representing 14% reported growth year over year.

Has Tapestry made major acquisitions recently?
Tapestry's most recent major acquisition was Kate Spade in 2017 for approximately $2.4 billion. The company attempted to acquire Capri Holdings for $8.5 billion in 2023, but the deal was blocked by the FTC and abandoned in January 2024. In August 2025, Tapestry divested Stuart Weitzman to Caleres for $105 million.

Founded: 1941
Headquarters: New York, New York, USA
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock: NYSE: TPR
Revenue: $7.01B (FY2025, ended June 28, 2025)
Employees: ~20,000

Visit Tapestry, Inc. website

View full company profile for Tapestry, Inc.

Where Is Kate Spade Outlet Made / Based?

Headquarters: New York, New York, USA

Kate Spade Outlet Categories & Tags

Outlet Handbags Discount Retail Kate Spade Accessible Luxury

Kate Spade Outlet Sustainability & Ethics

Kate Spade Outlet operates under Tapestry's sustainability framework, called "Fabric of Change." Tapestry has committed to science-based emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company has achieved 100% renewable energy across its own operations through community solar partnerships.

In February 2026, Tapestry announced a 10-year partnership with Climeworks for carbon removal. Tapestry also partners with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation on circular economy initiatives and with the Leather Working Group on responsible leather sourcing.

Kate Spade Outlet does not hold independent sustainability certifications. The outlet channel's environmental impact is reported as part of Tapestry's consolidated sustainability reporting. Tapestry publishes an annual Corporate Responsibility Report aligned with GRI, SASB, and TCFD frameworks.

Tapestry does not hold B Corp certification. The company's sustainability claims are verified by third-party auditors for greenhouse gas emissions data but not for all sustainability claims across all brands.

Kate Spade Outlet Recalls & Controversies

Kate Spade Outlet has faced legal challenges related to outlet pricing practices. In 2017, plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit (Irvine v. Kate Spade & Co.) alleging that Kate Spade marked outlet merchandise with illusory higher prices to make discounts appear more substantial. The lawsuit claimed this practice violated New York and Florida consumer protection statutes. The case addressed the common outlet retail practice of creating artificial original prices for outlet-exclusive products.

Following Tapestry's $2.4 billion acquisition of Kate Spade in 2017, shareholders filed lawsuits alleging that the Kate Spade board breached fiduciary duty by accepting an inadequate price. The lawsuits claimed the board failed to maximize shareholder value in the sale to Tapestry.

Tapestry's proposed $8.5 billion acquisition of Capri Holdings was blocked by the FTC in 2024 on antitrust grounds. The FTC argued that combining Tapestry's brands with Capri's Michael Kors would reduce competition in the accessible luxury handbag market. Tapestry abandoned the deal in November 2024.

Consumer perceptions of product quality differences between outlet and full-price merchandise have been a persistent issue. The 2017 lawsuit reflected broader consumer concerns about whether outlet products maintain the same quality standards as full-price retail items. Tapestry has addressed this by reducing outlet-exclusive product development.

Kate Spade Outlet Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+Access to Tapestry's global supply chain and manufacturing infrastructure
+Over 150 outlet store locations in premium outlet centers across the United States
+Strong brand recognition from the Kate Spade parent brand
+E-commerce channel through katespadeoutlet.com extends reach beyond physical stores
+Tapestry's financial resources support inventory management and merchandising

Considerations

-Outlet channel can erode Kate Spade's brand equity and train consumers to wait for discounts
-2017 lawsuit over illusory outlet pricing practices damaged consumer trust
-Competition from Coach Outlet, Michael Kors Outlet, and other accessible luxury outlet brands
-Tapestry is reducing outlet-exclusive products, limiting the channel's growth potential
-Dependence on outlet mall traffic, which has declined as e-commerce grows

Frequently Asked Questions About Kate Spade Outlet

Sources & Further Reading

Competitors to Kate Spade Outlet

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

Brand	Parent Company	Country	Founded	Market Position	Primary Market	Gender Target
Coach OutletSister Brand	Tapestry Inc	USA	1996	Premium	United states	Womens
Kate SpadeSister Brand	Tapestry Inc	USA	1993	Mass market	Global	Womens