WHEN OUTDOOR TEMPERATURES start climbing, the travel itch for millions nears its peak. People get in a frenzy to hit the beach, the lake—wherever they can go to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Only then does the luggage they tucked away inside some closet the year before become top priority.
And when the last flight to paradise is leaving within a few hours, the forgetful traveler can’t help but wonder why she didn’t bother to inspect her collection months ago. The last-minute discovery that her bag’s shoulder strap is hanging by a thread and two of its four wheels are broken isn’t the most promising start to a relaxing getaway.
Purchasing good luggage might be a costly endeavor, yet buying a quality set is considered a solid investment because it’s meant to last, not to mention each piece has a variety of uses. For these reasons, promotional travel bags earn the distinction of products with both a high-perceived and an actual value—and the coveted combination almost always means dollars for distributors.
IN FOR THE LONG HAUL
One of the main selling points of luggage is its longevity
—an attribute that can be supported by a distributor choosing the right fabric for a client as well as paying extremely close attention to the details that indicate superior construction.
Although it’s no secret travel bags are not exactly handled with care in the course of their lifetimes, there are certain fabrics that better stand up to rough trips. For example, according to Jamie Cimino, president of New Ulm, Minnesota-based Canyon Outback Leather Goods, “leather luggage lasts for years.” He pointed to both leather as well as ballistic nylon as the toughest materials for luggage, and added another benefit of leather is its ability to maintain a “cool look” over time.
“Always buy drum-dyed leather,” Cimino suggested, “this will take a beating and still keep its color.” As for ballistic nylon, he said the material wears very well, “especially the way airlines throw your bags around.”
But luggage is not formed of fabric alone. High-quality accoutrements—including wheels, zippers and the like—are not to be overlooked. For those who tend to pack everything and hope for the best, Cimino passed along the ultimate secret: “Good luggage is made first and foremost with YKK zippers. They are the best in the world.” He also affirmed the importance of wheels to keep both body and mind stress-free while traveling. Though the company carries various wheeled items, Cimino’s top picks for end-users on the go include Canyon Outback’s wheeled computer bag and its tri-fold garment bag. “Consumers like to take it easy these days in airports and [while] traveling, so they love to have wheels on their bags and hidden backpack straps [to] throw it on their backs,” he explained.
Along those lines, Mike Landry, director of special markets at South Plane, New Jersey-based Tumi, pointed to his company’s 22″ Framed Expandable Carry On (from its Alpha collection) as being its most popular by virtue of the bag’s heavily influenced military parts and components, including a telescoping handle and an add-a-bag hook. “It is built to last a lifetime. In tough economic times, there is something of a flight to quality, and we are definitely seeing that,” he affirmed.
BEST ALL-AROUND
Luggage is a versatile gift that can impress end-users in a variety of sectors. In the interest of helping distributors understand the kinds of clients particularly interested in promotional luggage, Landry offered, “We are seeing more and more applications as … distributors get more involved with incentive travel planning.”
Cimino agreed, and stated a quality luggage set given as an employee gift can mean the difference between employee commitment and disinterest. “An expensive piece of leather luggage builds dedication from an employee to his [or her] company,” he said. Plus, Cimino maintained, “companies who hand these high-end items out to employees get huge recognition when traveling.”
Similarly, he pointed to the gaming industry as another option for distributors. “Casinos love luggage for a room gift for their high rollers and luggage is also great for company trips,” Cimino said.
Further adding to the universal appeal of promotional luggage is a wealth of unisex styles. For one thing, standard color options still reign supreme, said Landry. “Black is still the perennial color,” he said. Though trendier hues have taken center stage for other accessories, fashion’s mercurial nature ensures no pattern can last the way neutral colors can. “Fashion can be a bit fickle, especially with female traveling professionals,” he said. “The reality is that we sell mostly black.”
So, whether a customer’s preference is to travel light or travel heavy, long-lived, all-purpose promotional luggage provides distributors fair playing ground to duke out higher margins.
