Sales of Travel Goods Soar
July 09, 2008
Consumer demand contributes to record high of $22.2 billion
By Jeanie Casison
Luggage, backpacks, travel and sports bags, business cases, computer bags, handbags, personal leather goods and travel accessories are hot products. The Travel Goods Association "State of the U.S. Travel Goods Market" report estimates that U.S. consumers spent $22.2 billion on these items in 2007, despite a slowing economy. Americans may not necessarily be traveling more, but rather relying on these travel goods for day-to-day use.
"Part of the reason we are seeing an increase in the growth of travel products is the fact that consumers are using these products in their everyday lives—not just for business and vacation trips but also for commuting every day to work or traveling across campus," says Michele Marini Pettinger, president of the Travel Goods Association in Princeton, New Jersey. "But perhaps the most important influence has been that we are an increasingly 'portable' society, with laptops, cell phones, iPods and other items that have become a part of our lives. We expect to take our everyday life with us no matter where we go."
Manufacturers are also making an effort to enhance their travel merchandise offerings by making them more versatile, functional, smaller, stylish and lightweight at a good price. Incentive award buyers who want the pulse on products should know some recent innovations include luggage with built-in scales, smaller carry-on bags, colorful fashion designer luggage lines and "check-point" friendly laptop cases, which allow for the computers to remain in the cases during airport screenings.
"Travel products are really an ideal award for an incentive program because there is such a wide variety of products, price points and styles—which allows a company to really make a statement about who they are and how they feel about their employees," says Marini Pettinger. "A laptop case made out of 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, a fashionable tote in wild colors and prints, a water-tight iPod case, a beautiful later laptop case on wheels—each one says something different about the company. And of course, receiving something they can use everyday of their lives is always appreciated by employees."
More information about the report is available on www.travel-goods.org.
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