China is 'No 1' opportunity for Coach

"We actually bring down thousands a month from taobao," Seliger said. A dedicated Coach team checks the website daily.

He refuted the possibility that lower-priced Coach goods sold online could have come from contracted Asian manufacturers. That's been argued by sellers who say they're offering real value for money. "We have very tight compliance control," Seliger said.

Coach profits drive up in China

Chinese market offers better times for the rich

Coach is tapping China's "600-million" e-commerce market. In 2011 it was the first luxury brand to have a store on taobao.com. A year later, it launched its own online sales platform in Chinese.

"The majority of business is coming from where we have physical stores," Seliger said.

In Shanghai, Coach's store is a "dual-gendered concept" with sleek spaces for women's wear on the first floor and men's on the second. It opened in 2010 and there are now 122 Coach stores on China's mainland.

Seliger said business is "very successful" and declined to give specifics.

"We see a huge opportunity to expand our male products and offering in China," Seliger said.

Men globally constitute 15 to 18 percent of the premium handbag and accessories market. That's worth about $6 billion. China is "a very male-dominant market", Seliger said. There men account for close to 40 percent of sales.

Seliger has led the company for three-and-a-half years. The biggest challenge in China is keeping staff "in the most competitive market in the world", the 45-year-old said.

He claimed "one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry, more than half of the industry benchmark" for his company. "If I were to leave a legacy behind when I leave, I think it's leave great people," Seliger said.

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