Retailer Impressions@The 2010 Travel Goods Show
Upbeat,
Lighter,
By Garrett Lai
Greener
It’s a big show, and there really is a lot to
see. Between juggling appointments, catch-
Trends
THE BIGGEST TREND FOR THE
2010 Travel Goods Show was attitude.
ing seminars and just plain catching up with Walking the floor, listening to retail-
ers, attendees kept saying over and
industry friends, seeing the whole of The over how positive it felt. People were
writing orders, and things were mov-
Travel Goods Show is pretty much impossible. ing. “I thought the upbeat attitude was
much improved over the year before.
Which is why it it helps to borrow the eyes That was the first thing I was looking
for at this year’s Show, and I found
and ears of a few industry retailers to get their it,” declares David McLean, owner of
McLean Luggage in Edmonton, Alberta,
read on what’s happening in our industry. Canada, who’s been in the luggage busi-
Travel Goods SHOWCASE May 2010 59
Retailer Impressions@The 2010 Travel Goods Show
ness nearly 30 years. Minnesota, had to agree about the the lightweight issue,” he says. “But all
Accessories have definitely come of color, although that’s not necessarily the products have improved by giving
age — we saw more than 70 exhibitors a positive. “I noticed huge amounts of customers better value. I look at what
this year with significant portions of color, which is painful for me because I Antler brought to The Show this year
their product lines devoted to accesso- can only sell black,” she says, explaining versus last year, the New Size Zero is
ries, and some, like Design Go and L.C. that her family-owned business caters remarkably better, it just feels much
Industries, are exclusively accessories primarily to flight crews, and for them more substantial. The old Size Zero sold
purveyors. Luggage will always be an black is the only color allowed on the well for us, it’s so light it shocks people.
inseparable part of the travel goods job. But they replaced some of the vinyl
landscape, but in terms of items offered “Everything is changing in the lug- aspects of it with nylon, and improved
for sale, accessories may have eclipsed gage industry,” says Usha Ramchandani, the colors with a deeper bronze color
luggage offerings, or are about to. owner of Luggage World and Travel on the one that’s not black (and black
Jeff Izenson, owner of Specialty in Miami, Florida, who’s been in the was awfully good). They made the case
Luggage in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, industry 15 years. “Everything is going for the same price, but it looks like it
has “maybe been to 26 Shows,” having from two wheels to spinners to light- has more value, it’s more refined and
been born to a family in the business, weight. People don’t want to get big improved,” Wein says. “Travelpro made
and has spent 25 years working in sizes [of luggage] any more, like before. some big steps in improving their prod-
the industry full time. “My impression The industry is more into accessories, ucts. The new Crew 8 was outstanding,
was there were more accessory people which do well, especially when you add I feel like they’ve really righted their
this year, which I thought was a good it on with the luggage. People like the ship, and are doing a lot of things that
thing.” locks and tags, and everything is TSA. will really help them.”
Continues Wein, “One of
the things about going to The
One of the things about going to The Show is you Show is you go to a booth,
and you revisit something
go to a booth, and you revisit something that a that a year ago you thought
wasn’t so great, and then you
year ago you thought wasn’t so great, and then you change your mind. I did that
with Atlantic Compass this
change your mind. year. Before The Show my
whole mindset on Atlantic
and Travelpro [which owns
And light weight, which has been The luggage scales are phenomenal, Atlantic] in general was their quality
a design factor since the invention of people like colorful luggage, not plain was a little bit off. But I think they’ve
the suitcase, continues to be a power- black. Polycarbonate luggage is doing proved to me they’re committed to
ful trend. Fueled by airline overweight better than soft-sides, which used to be quality. I got to meet the people from
baggage fees and customer demand, the most popular for us but people are the company, and it confirms their com-
and probably helped along by our aging getting into more polycarbonate.” mitment to what they’re doing. So now
demographic and the simple fact that One big trend Ramchandani noted they’re a key vendor for us,” Wein says.
better, stronger materials are available, is the trend toward shopping again, and “Another company I think is
lightweight luggage just keeps getting with it, a deeper trend toward value. really on top of things is Delsey. It’s
lighter and better. “We’re still seeing “People are spending more money on a remarkable company with all the
weight reduction from a lot of people, luggage. Before, they didn’t spend that things they do, with the different angles
that’s a big part of The Show,” Izenson much, but now they realize the more they approach things with — like light
observes. they spend the more they get for their weight and security. They have a new
“Lighter luggage is happening a money — better quality, it lasts longer, case, and you can’t puncture the zipper.
lot,” says Gillian “Gill” Green, buyer for and you get a better warranty,” says Most cases, you can puncture the zipper
Luggage & Leather Depot in Atlanta, Ramchandani. “People travel, and as with a ballpoint pen and get inside, you
Georgia, who’s a 12-Show veteran. bad as the economy could be, they don’t won’t be able to do that with this case,”
“There were a lot more travel accesso- stop traveling. Everybody is still travel- says Wein.
ries, there are more choices for custom- ing, they still need luggage, and they Gregg Simon, president of Portland
ers. We’re definitely trending toward want to invest in something that will Luggage in Portland, Oregon, has been
more good stuff at lower price points.” last. Things are definitely changing for attending The Travel Goods Show since
Color continues to be a powerful the better.” he was seven, but started attending in
eye-catcher on The Show floor, although The industry, as a whole, seems to a professional capacity 29 years ago. “I
black is still the color that’s ordered be paring weight and adding value at the noticed a couple of interesting trends. I
most. “I saw color again, and by color I same time. At least that’s how it looks to like the fact that there are environmen-
mean eye-popping color,” says Izenson, 31-year industry vet Philip Wein, an tally conscious products now. I think
“which I think is good.” owner of Irv’s Luggage in the Chicago that’s a nice thing to offer our custom-
Jennifer Malmberg, buyer/man- suburb of Mount Prospect, Illinois. ers, especially in the Northwest because
ager of Stop-Over Store in St. Paul, “Lots of manufacturers have addressed people here are very environmentally
60 May 2010 Travel Goods SHOWCASE
Retailer Impressions@The 2010 Travel Goods Show
conscious. It would be nice if some able — absolutely terrific, from UBU.” know in the men’s room it’s disgusting
of the majors began to pay a little bit Sanjay Bhalla, manager of — it seems like the thing to have.”
of attention to that, what kind of eyes Manhattan’s Eastside Luggage Shop GoGirl also made the tryout list
they’re using, how the leather’s being and a nine-year industry veteran, made for Gill Green. “There were so many
processed, the number of chemicals his fifth trip to The Travel Goods Show new travel accessory distributors, they
being used in things. Then again, I’ve and came home to give Bric’s a try as a tend to blur after awhile. But there are
got friends who live in areas of the new vendor in his shop. “We’re trying definitely a lot of new ideas, like the
country where nobody cares. But the out their Life Collection and the casual ladies’ products, we’re trying a bath-
younger generations are more aware, line of handbags. So far it’s been little room product called GoGirl. I like the
it’s part of who they are, and they’re response, but business is slow. We’re blowup bag that protects your wine
paying attention to this. So I think the moving in a positive direction, no ques- [VinniBag].”
majors would be wise to pay attention tion, but right now it is tough.” Malberg’s Stop-Over Store is also
to that, that’s the future.” Ramchandani says, “We ordered giving VinniBag a tryout. “I think they
Simon also agrees that value and some of the self-weighing luggage from just did such a great job, and it’s multi-
quality are ascendant. “Some compa- Intelligent Luggage. It’s great — the use. But I knew there was a need, I
nies are really doing their best to main- scale’s on the bag, so you just put your know with my customers [principally
tain quality, and I was happy to see that. stuff in it and weigh it. It sits on the flight crews], they do purchase so much
I think Johnston & Murphy’s doing a ground and weighs itself, automati- wine.” Malmberg also put a toe in the
terrific job of this, I love their stuff. cally showing you the weight of the water with Antler’s New Size Zero. “It’s
They make great luggage, it’s unique, luggage. We ordered some Eagle Creek, lightweight, and has a 10-year guar-
they keep the price clean and it’s very because their accessories are doing antee. Plus the fact that the construc-
high quality.” well, lots of people ask me about them. tion incorporated carbon fiber, which
We added Eagle Creek duffels in small, we’ve been kind of curious about. We
medium, large and extra large. We do so much luggage repair here, it
New Lines, ordered the hiking backpacks, and we
ordered all the accessories, the ones
just seemed like a natural progression
to go with carbon fiber to combat the
New that come on the rack with Pack-It®
Cubes, Pack-It® Folders and Mobile
weight while maintaining durability. It’s
really amazing — the frame is like coat
Products
FOR A LOT OF RETAILERS, THE
Locker, Compression Sacs, ID pouch,
all of it. And we added a vacuum space
saver type of thing, those are something
hanger wire — we’re giving it a whirl. I
have a flight attendant demoing it right
now to see how it does.”
Show is an opportunity to discover new I think will sell well.” Antler’s New Size Zero also made an
product lines, new product categories, Izenson brought in some new impression with Simon and Portland
and a chance to, well, shop for new items and vendors after his trip to The Luggage. “They’re a company that has
items for their shop. You can’t beat The Show. “We bought into Eagle Creek’s made a strong showing at The Show
Travel Goods Show for business-build- Hovercraft line. It’s very light, and it’s for the last few years, and to my knowl-
ing opportunities, and this year that well made. And we’re also looking at edge they weren’t getting that much
proved to be very much the case. new vendors like Ed Hardy — that action. But they were still buying the
“After The Show we brought in could be an interesting thing. It’s very big booth, and they really came into
umbrellas from Vista, out of New hip and topical,” says Izenson. play with their programs this year —
Jersey, just for fun, and we’re now “Briggs and Riley’s new BRX looks they’re getting in everywhere.”
going back for our third order on some very cool as well, it has a unique Portland Luggage also brought in
of this stuff,” enthused David McLean look, and they really seemed to do a couple of new exhibitors after see-
in Edmonton, just weeks after return- their research. You never know until it ing them at The Show. “We brought in
ing from Las Vegas. “We’ve never had checks out, but it seemed functional. Spibelts and Lipault. Everybody liked
umbrellas and walking canes in our And Heys had the Hummer series, Lipault — they’re fashiony, lightweight,
store before, it’s been absolutely incred- which we spent a lot of time with well-priced, and tell a story.”
ible. We got these walking sticks that [Izenson is on the NLDA luggage com-
Crystal Ball
have a palm grip, it fits in your palm, mittee]. It’s a real mixed bag of opinion.
we’ve never seen one like this, and I liked it, although I’m a little uncertain
they’re from Vista, like the umbrellas. it would continue to mean anything
We have a senior’s hospital just opposite after they shut Hummer down, but it’s THERE’S NO FOOLPROOF METHOD
us on the street, and we keep getting a pretty unique product.” for determining what lies ahead, but
calls for these walking canes. If you One new item Izenson’s trying out The Travel Goods Show continues to be
have arthritis you can’t grip things very is GoGirl, a small personal accessory the best prognosticator for determining
easily, and because these are shaped and that allows women to urinate standing the hot product categories, brands and
molded for the hand they’re fabulous,” up. “We’re selling it, not as fast as we businesses for the coming year.
says McLean. “We also picked up a new hear other people are doing, but we are Collectively, our informal survey of
product category, ladies’ reversible trav- selling it. When you’re going to a third retailer impressions definitely points
el coats. We’ve got windbreakers, knee- world country, or a hockey game — I the way to a more energized, upbeat
length, beautiful coats, they’re fashion- don’t know what they do in there, but I future. And that’s good news indeed. b
Travel Goods SHOWCASE May 2010 61