Bags and Luggage in South Africa

PROSPECTS

Younger South Africans choose colourful and technical features

Younger more affluent South Africans enjoy travelling within and outside of the country, supporting sales of bags and luggage. They appreciate colourful luggage to accompany them, which is more likely to stand out when they collect their bags off the carousel when they reach their destination.

Security issues and new airport regulations influence demand for certain bag types

There is growing demand for lightweight luggage that is not only sturdy enough for long-haul travel but also offers greater security with criminal activity in South African airports leading to consumer concerns regarding whether their items will be safe. Bag tampering is leading to an increasing number of companies developing anti-theft locks.

Luxury handbags continues to enjoy positive demand, being a sign of social status

Premium and luxury bags and luggage continued to attract affluent consumers in 2019, with luxury handbags the strongest performer in retail volume growth terms after backpacks. These consumers, in addition to more aspirational mid-income consumers, continue to be highly influenced by social media celebrities and global trends that they see through various media channels, and want to emulate the latest looks as some sign of their social status.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Retailers benefit from expansive distribution and wide reaching offer

Busby Trading strengthened its leadership of bags and luggage in 2018, with the playing continuing to benefit from strong demand for its wide brand portfolio. With 35 stores, Busby Trading is a retailer in addition to a licenced importer and distributor of various leading international brands such as Nike, Guess, Travelite and Delsey.

Samsonite continues to benefit from global reputation for quality and design

Samsonite continued to perform well, well-known for its classic and professional business bags, in addition to offering luggage under both Samsonite and American Tourister, with the latter offering lightweight colourful luggage in both hard and soft formats.

Consumers appreciate range of models available at leading distribution channel

Bags and luggage specialist retailers, especially independent stores, continued to dominate value sales of bags and luggage in 2019. These stores allow consumers to choose from a wide range of models and prices, in addition to allowing them to handle the products prior to purchase; this is particularly important for luggage when trying to gauge their weight for when travelling.

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