New bag trend, sleepwear and bag
We all know shoes and bags, but what about sleepwear and bags? This new bag trend has found its origin during the pandemic. Ami and Jason Richter, founders of the bag brand Lug, saw the sales figures for their fun travel bags and accessories business drop due to the lockdowns and travel restrictions. So they had to look for a solution to safe their bag business.
Start a company to set a new bag trend
In 2004 Ami and Jason met at a Las Vegas trade show. Ami had a booth next to Jason where she displayed a collection of urban laptop bags. Jason was showcasing a T-shirt line. There is no information about the number of visitors, but for sure Cupid was present because Ami and Jason fell in love. In the following months they travelled a lot between their homes in Toronto and Dallas. It was during these visits that the idea grew to create a line of highly functional, colorful yet playful quilted bags and accessories to keep people organized on the go.
They launched the company, named LUG, with three products. Luggage tags, luggage straps and wallets. Their Puddle Jumper bag caught the eye of Oprah Winfrey, and after they got featured in “O magazine” their business took a flight. Their fun, functional and colorful designs were a new bag trend. Bringing color and fun in the mostly black travel bag world.
The ideal client for bags
To focus their marketing effort, they worked on their ideal client for bags. They picked customers as women from 40 and above. Women with active and busy lives who appreciate being organized. This audience had the financial independence and personality to get a bag that would stand out of the rest. Image how it feels when you wait at the luggage belt at the airport were everybody is looking for a black travel black. While you are the only one looking for a colorful fun design bag! Let’s bet you who will leave the airport faster when you are the owner of a colorful travel bag.
When you understand the needs of your ideal client for bags, you know what new situations your ideal client might face and what kind of solutions you can offer.
The pandemic was a new bag trend
The pandemic brought the need for hygiene and hand sanitizers, without touching too much surface. This gave Ami the idea to add wipeable pockets made of vinyl-like material to new designs so her customers could easily sanitize the bags. Completed with extra pockets to hold hand sanitizers. This new bag trend had effect on all their other products, because a majority of Lug bags now have clear wipe able pockets “where it makes sense in the design.” Ami also added pen holder pockets, so people have their own pens at the ready without searching their bag.
How did they grow their bag brand?
In October 2020, Ami and Jason launched a daily online live shopping show called Lug Live hosted by super fans of the brand. It has six hosts who each show a curated collection of Lug products and discuss how they fit into their everyday lives. They also invite customers to tell their stories and take part. This is a great way to engage with your ideal client and will be a great source for new ideas.
A multi channel approach helped to expand their business, they sell online through QVC after they started offering their bags on a Canadian television home shopping channel. To enable their clients to touch, feel and try the bags before they buy, they opened a walk in store in the Baltimore Washington international airport.
The next bag trend sleepwear and bag
With the bags being a success their next idea hints at Ami’s vision of Lug becoming a lifestyle brand beyond bags. In October 2022 the company will introduce Lug sleepwear and loungewear. “We’re about fun. Our customers already love to match our bags to what they’re wearing,” she said. “Now they can dress head-to-toe in one of our prints.”
This shows you can expand your bag business to other areas, and increase your customer loyalty for happy returning clients.
You next step to grown your business
Our sales team is ready to help you growing your bag business by creating new bag trends, or to enable you to jump timely on the train of a new bag trend. Do not miss any business opportunity and define your ideal client, contact our sales team and work on your new line of bags.