Lighter, brighter bags reflect changing times - luggage

Discount Store News, March 15, 1993

"Bags are reflecting the economy," reported Andy Nitkin, vp, York Luggage, Lambertville, N.J. Strictly speaking that means that the luggage and bag department at most retailers is growing steadily but slowly. But there is also optimism as bright colors and styles enter the marketplace.

As with virtually every other merchandise category, value is the key word. Manufacturers are delivering on that through well priced casual bags that better fit today's lifestyles. The economy has also affected the way people travel, and that is changing the face of the luggage department at most discount stores.

Casual bags - a group that encompasses carry-ons, duffles, totes and sport bags - are currently leading the luggage pack. According to industry estimates, about half of most luggage departments are devoted to the more casual silhouettes. At stores like Target, casual bags are an even larger part of the mix, a fact that is not going to change any time soon.

"It is a reflection of people's lives," said Nitkin. "People don't take long vacations; they have weekend getaways where a large duffle is a more appropriate choice."

That emphasis on casual has also opened up the style possibilities for the category.

"We're going to bring color to what is generally a dark, dreary market," said Eddie Shamah, vice president, Roma Luggage, New York, which also makes a range of casual bags in addition to standard luggage pieces like garment bags.

A number of other mass market producers are taking that stance as well, adding fashion colors, fabrications and styling to totes, suitcases, garment bags and duffles. The basic black, blue and beige selections generally found in the luggage departments are being joined by, among other things, chintz-like florals and color-blocking effects using bright shades.

Part of the reason for this new fashion impetus is the new brands and licenses that have introduced product into the market this year. Legacy Luggage, the mass market division of Samsonite, is licensing the McGregor brand for a range of luggage and casual bag offerings for spring. York Luggage is introducing a new group of styles for the Jordache label. Roma Luggage, a division formed by Roma International only this past January, is introducing a line under its own Roma brand name.

The range of fashion styles and colors has not added to the price points, however. According to Shamah, Roma's selections run between $10 to $200, but the bulk of the business is in the $10 to $30 range. These include nylon totes with splashes of fuchsia, teal and purple.

Nitkin agreed that price was a motivator in the market and one of the reasons that casual bags were doing so well.

While industry sources said that the luggage and bag category maintained single digit increases through 1992, growth has leveled off. With an infusion of color and brand names, manufacturers are hoping to give the category and the department a jump start in discount stores.