What an interesting and informative read. Good tips on what to look for in any bag and especially great tip about the shoulder strap buckle vs slide.

Wow, so informative -- striking differences, even just from a glance at the side-by-side photos. I'm surprised/impressed at the sales associate's transparency; that's not something I would have expected her to disclose to a shopper.

Thank you so much for the review! I would not have envisioned such important differences betweeen the retail and the outlet versions. Especially given their prices! Your review is really instructive.

I have a leopard print tote that I bought at a Coach outlet a few years ago. I was looking at two different bags. The sales associate told me which one was outlet only, and which was retail. They were about the same price. She pointed out things like lining and a zipper closure and non-loose stitching on the handles to convince me to get the retail version (which I did.)

Just found site like to fossil review.
I am looking at buying a fossil bag bought one a couple of years ago not sure if it is outlet though

so might do a new post to get answers hopefully

Thank you for this post! I know it's over 5 years old, but it was very helpful for me today. I called Fossil customer service to inquire regarding the poor quality of my new Sydney Satchel compared to my older one. They had no idea what I was talking about, and the first associate even stated that he "thinks" there are not retail and outlet versions of this bag. The second associate didn't seem to understand what I was asking either, and was not able to transfer me to ANYONE who could be of help. Very frustrating, as I can see there are many videos and blog posts about this very issue!

I have emailed Fossil Customer Care to see what they have to say. I just want to know how to make sure I am buying the retail version! Is there not a special SKU for each, or something similar?

4 years ago, commenter @corrinacorrina5766 on YouTube said: "So I did some research on the “new” Sydney. Turns out that one was made for the fossil outlets. It took a lot if digging to see what was going on. Fossil discontinued the Sydney in their main store. And brought in the Rachel, the Fiona. And made the Sydney more affordable for the outlets." I found this to be very informative as well. I guess I am SOL for buying a new retail version of this beloved bag. What a disappointment! Thank you again for your detailed post about this issue. It is the reason I signed up for an account here! x