Stylized suitcases, trunks with logos or connected bags… The recovery in tourism after the pandemic has triggered the luggage market, attracting more and more large luxury houses. The year 2022 was an opportunity for players in the luggage market to reconnect with their pre-Covid standards. “During the year, governments around the world eased social distancing and travel restrictions, leading to increased demand for our products in all regions,” Kyle Gendreau, chief executive of Samsonite, a player, said in March. important.
The resumption of travel has meant “a huge market boom after an absolutely incredible drop in sales” for Delsey in 2020 and 2021, confirms Maximilien Bayle, chief financial officer of the French company, Samsonite’s main competitor. Delsey achieved 207 million turnover last year, an increase of 124% compared to 2021. The trend is confirmed in the first quarter of 2023, with an increase of 50% in one year.
Increase in the “baggage” budget of travelers
And the inflation? Delsey has increased its prices by an average of 30%, according to Maximilien Bayle. “Customers tend to stick to leisure spending, such as handbags, but there is a real desire to buy luggage,” with “fewer and fewer budget constraints,” said Noémie Bessec, general manager of Latitude luggage and leather goods, in an interview. Saint-Malo. Customers are looking for a “quality product, with after-sales service, editor’s note) to accompany it,” says Alexandra Le Creff, vice president of the Federation of Leather Goods and Luggage Retailers. They no longer want “disposable luggage” but rather repairable objects.
“We feel that people want to leave, to travel,” continues Alexandra Le Creff, also a leather goods maker at Maroquinerie Barret in Lyon. The various limitations of airlines in terms of hand luggage dimensions and the different types of trips force consumers to have various sizes and models of luggage, says Alexandra Le Creff. In her leather goods, the average “luggage” basket of customers has gone from 220 euros in 2019 to 250 euros in 2023.
luxury gains ground
In Delsey’s sights: Asia, and in particular China, a market that will reopen “starting this summer.” “This is the big challenge this year,” said Maximilien Bayle. International tourism could return to 80% or 95% of its pre-pandemic level by the end of the year, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Samsonite’s CEO expects a “significant recovery” in business travel. To gain market share, manufacturers seek to distinguish themselves: Delsey has “stylized” its bags to make them more “elegant”, Samsonite is developing connected cabin bags, with USB ports, as luxury hones its brand image and builds customer loyalty with branded luggage.
Lionel Messi poses on the asphalt leaning on a Louis Vuitton suitcase, Rihanna on the side of a road with a red Rimowa suitcase, a brand acquired by LVMH in 2016… “It is the materialization of a fundamental movement. Luxury is expanding its domain to compete with premium territory.The increase in the desire to travel, especially among the young generation, constitutes an exceptional niche for luxury”, analyzes Eric Briones, director of the Journal du luxe.
Gucci settled in December in a boutique dedicated exclusively to Paris. His will of him? Offer “products for brand followers that go beyond simple accessories and help build customer loyalty. The suitcase has become a true fashion item” in luxury, a sector that, according to Eric Briones, ” It has 400 million customers worldwide and is expected to have 100 million more by 2030.”
Source: BFM TV
