Skootcase replaces suitcase as luggage firms use innovation to woo desi travellers

MUMBAI: There was a time when one big suitcase per family was the norm while embarking on a trip. But today , every member of the family carries hisher own bags, giving a leg-up to the luggage industry . Even kids now tow their own bright and bearshaped bags. The colours, too, have undergone a change with bubblegum pinks and lime greens replacing the typical blacks, browns and blues.

“Looks and style have become increasingly important as customers feel that the bag they carry says something about their personality . They are more willing to try bright and bold colours and seek stylish designs,“ said Radhika Piramal, MD, VIP Industries, which has seen revenue growth of 50% in the last four years.

Ramesh Tainwalla, CEO, Samsonite International, said, “Earlier, products used to be masculine and functional as men would select the suitcase for the family . Now with women -being financially independent and children getting a say, they prefer to have their own bags of choice.“ The local unit of Samsonite is aiming at a growth rate of 20-25% in the coming years.

Giving the Rs 7,500-crore Indian luggage industry (of which organized market is Rs 4,500 crore) a further boost is the travel sector, which in recent years has seen a boom with more and mo re Indians exploring the country and overseas destinations.

Rising income levels, changing lifestyles and social media exposure have augmented travel interests of Indians. Statistics show about 100 million domestic tourists visited various states and Union territories, while 15 million Indians flew to overseas destinations in 2015. It is estima ted that this international travel figure will touch 50 million by the end of the decade.

Luggage makers are also upping their spend on innovation and coming up with products that are more convenient for travellers, such as a waterproof rucksack for a weekend trip, a large trolley case for a long international vacation, hard-case for wedding trousseau, scratch-resistant duffel bag for frequent travels and also `pluggage' which provides facilities for charging a phone. Even for kids, brands are coming out with novel concepts like a `skootcase', which is inspired by Vespa and is a ride-on luggage, and cartoon-shaped bags.

With people preferring to travel light and airlines imposing restrictions on baggage weight, the trend has been towards backpacks and lightweight, hard-case suitcases, said Sudip Ghose, VP (marketing), VIP Industries.The weight of suitcases has also come down by 25-30% with luggage manufacturers opting for lighter, tougher materials such as aluminium in place of mildsteel and rip-stop fabrics.