Traveling in Style

When it comes to buying travel accessories, women are the chief decision-makers in the marketplace, accounting for approximately 74 percent of all luggage purchases, according to a survey by the Princeton, NJ-based Travel Goods Association (TGA). They're also responsible for 20 percent of all business travel, and make most of the major decisions for family vacations. So in the category of travel gear, catering to women's wants, needs, and style sense is a factor retailers must heed.

Thankfully, there are options. Travel accessories are no longer limited to basic black, navy and burgundy, as manufacturers in the travel goods, fashion accessories and gift industries introduce a range of choices in bright colors and fashion- forward designs to stimulate sales. So whether it's for a business trip, a weekend getaway or a family vacation, women hitting the highways and flyways are traveling in style, thanks to travel bags that double as fashion accessories.

Of course, luggage wasn't always treated as a fashion accent, as Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, president and co-founder of Vera Bradley, Fort Wayne, IN, affirms. “When [Pat Miller and I] started Vera Bradley 24 years ago, we were sitting in an airport, and the women were dressed nicely, but they didn't care what they carried in the way of luggage. It just wasn't considered 'fashion.' The question in my mind was, 'Why is luggage such a non-accessory?'”

Since then, accessories designers have put travelware on the fashion map, giving women a greater range of choices in luggage design, thereby allowing them to express their personal style even when on-the-go.

“The customer wants to know that [she has] options,” says Emily McHugh co-founder of Casauri, Fort Pierce, FL. “[She is] no longer stuck with one ordinary wheeled piece; there are stylish, fun alternatives that are still functional.”

Not surprisingly, when it comes to fashion luggage, especially in the gift market, women-owned businesses are the leaders in meeting the demand for unique, fashionable travel accessories, as well as practical yet feminine business bags and computer cases.

“It started with the soft pieces (totes, duffels, and weekenders). And then, of course, everyone wanted [bags on] wheels,” offers Baekgaard. That demand, she says has “flourished in the past three years.”

One of the first things buyers of fashion travel accessories are attracted to are the bold, refreshing color palettes that offer a sense of fun while maintaining a contemporary look inspired by current fashion trends. Brights — lime green, tangerine orange, hot pink, and turquoise blue — appear in solid as well as patterned styles, combining with each other and/or neutrals such as cream, black and brown. Patterns favor retro-influenced, con-temporary graphics such as dots, stripes, checks in bold variation, and stylized mod designs.

However, this doesn't mean that floral patterns don't have their place in the market. The feminine-patterned, quilted travel look continues to have strong appeal, not only in the soft duffels and weekenders, but even in the more traditional rolling baggage category.

“We've learned from doing luggage,” says Baekgaard, whose company's first foray into the category was a subtle signature background pattern with a strong border print. “We did it in red, navy and black; red is the biggest seller,” notes Baekgaard. “Then we tried our own fabric: Java Blue. Now it's outselling the others, which is amazing because I wasn't sure that I wanted to see that much pattern on a piece of rolling luggage!” Apparently, customers do.

The trend going forward, forecasts Boomershine, is luggage in bright colors with patterned accents.

After color, functional details are what customers want most. Women are particularly interested in features that make luggage more portable and efficient. Explains Emily McHugh: “One of the first things [customers] ask is 'How heavy is this?'” That question is usually followed by considerations about how the bag will fit on a plane and meet airline requirements.

Another area of importance to the traveler is a bag's components, including pockets and compartments — what the TGA refers to as “travel systems.” Baekgaard calls this concept “organized travel.” “Customers want lots of pockets and zippered sections to tuck things in; not just a bag as a regular suitcase, but an organized travel piece.”

Organized travel systems, fit with today's grab-and-go approach to travel. The events of 9/11 changed how people travel, with travelers today being more apt to organize their packing into smaller, more manageable carry-on pieces rather than stuffing everything into one large checked bag. This may slow the process of getting through airport security, but it also ensures the safety of the traveler's belongings and allows her to get out of the airport and to her final destination faster.

For the business traveler, these organized travel bags not only accommodate personal necessities, but also function as a portable office. Organized compartments for files, laptop computers, and other electronic accessories allow the business traveler to go directly from the airport to the boardroom.

But when it comes to sales, the travel accessories market is not just about the bags people carry. Additional accessories — from shoe bags to luggage tags, passport cases and more — also help bring significant revenue to this category.

When catering to the traveling customer, don't forget to offer a range of accessories that extend the luggage “wardrobe,” and add to the bottom line. Luggage tags, zipper pulls, and colorful belts bring individuality to each piece, as well as increased security, while cosmetic cases, jewelry rolls, and lingerie and shoe bags provide additional organization and protection inside the bag. And for customers who don't want a lot of pattern on their baggage, cosmetic cases and interior organizers come in many wonderful designs that offer a great way to add some practical pizzazz to travel fashion.

Luggage and other travel pieces are no longer non-accessories. As Boomershine says, “People want to break away from the pack and carry unique, easily recognizable bags.”

So do offer customers a chance to stand out in the sea of boring black; give them fashion statement luggage that emerges from the cargo holds to hit the baggage carousels and jetways with a splash of style and color.