I can't say that I "KNOW" the scoop, however, I have a teen who loves Coach and I have learned WAY more than I thought I would at this point. We both now carry Coach.
Coach store: Latest and greatest styles, etc. No discounted prices. Excellent customer service.
Outlet: You can get something that is "genuine Coach" but not necessarily made for the Coach store. Styles will be very SIMILAR to some of the styles at the store, not EXACT. On occasion, you might happen to see something that is exact but it is rare. I would say that the quality is not badat the outlet but discount is not that dramatic (take consideration of your time and money to get there).
We have shopped both. I personally prefer the Coach Store because the discount is not that great at the outlet and I prefer not to have a bag just like everyone else's. Outlets have more available made for their store so you see your bag more often. Yes, when you buy the store product you will also see the same bag at times but it does not seem to be as often.
I live less than 5 minutes from the outlet. IF you have any issues, the Coach store is great for customer service. I had a Coach tag fall off and the store replaced it at no charge, no questions asked.
A NOTE about outlets: I shop a lot of Guess. I also used to be in retail. With outlet stores, items are manufactured specifically for the outlet stores that NEVER go to the main store. Occasionally, Guess will get a Premium jean that has been discontinued from the store. Overall....Outlet stores have products made just for them and will not have the exact matches that you will find in the retail sector.
Have fun shopping!!
TF