What makes a bag? And other questions we asked the General Manager Of Samsonite Singapore And Malaysia

In its Future of Outbound Travel in Asia Pacific (2016 to 2021) report released in January 2017, Mastercard predicted that annual international outbound trips from Malaysia will reach 14.2 million by 2021, the sixth highest among emerging markets. Travel is on the uptick and it will only continue punching forward as accessibility to previously elusive corners of the world increases through mushrooming airlines around the globe. These are facts that do not go unnoticed as the behemoth luggage manufacturer and retailer, Samsonite, carefully takes note to stay in tune with consumer demands.

“There have certainly been a lot of shifts in travel trends,” shares Satish Peerubandi, General Manager of Samsonite Singapore and Malaysia. “A couple of things that we have noticed are the increased frequency of shorter getaways to closer destinations within the South- East Asian region. Then, there is the rise of business leisure travel where professionals extend their work trips to do a little sightseeing – all good signs for the industry. However, with these naturally comes some concerns as the industry is rapidly evolving.”

Satish peerubandi, general manager of samsonite singapore and malaysia

These include airline restrictions on baggage weight and quality that are constantly adjusting. One example is the recent headline-making move by Ryanair to charge passengers GBP5 for priority boarding to avoid having their main cabin bag checked in to the hold at the departure gate. On the flipside, Emirates frequently offers extra baggage allowance for certain routes. “One solution is to make lighter suitcases,” says Peerubandi. Hence, the introduction of the new Lite-Shock collection, touted as the lightest Samsonite hardside collection to date.

“Lite- Shock is created around the theme of being very light, yet it promises strength. We’ve managed to bring these two necessities together through a unique innovation called Curv that we’ve been leveraging on for the past decade,” he elaborates. The patented Curv technology is a method of treating plastic to make it lighter and stronger. Simply put, beads of plastic are pulled into fibres and weaved together to form a low-density sheet with good tensile strength and high-impact resistance. Pushing this revolutionary technology to new extremes, Lite- Shock offers the lightest yet strongest Samsonite luggage ever made, with the cabin-sized Spinner 55 weighing a mere 1.7kg. “It’s lighter than most laptops!” exclaims Peerubandi. “You have the freedom to pack as much as you want without worrying about weight restrictions.”

Another aspect that’s hard to ignore is the visual appeal of the collection. Peerubandi explains that this is no mere coincidence as design is a very important element in the conception of each piece. “Samsonite is over 100 years old and we’ve successfully remained relevant at any point in time. Today’s relevance is design and our innovations are crafted to complement that design.” For Lite-Shock, design cues are taken from rippling water and the effect is mirrored on the waves featured on the suitcases. Peerubandi reveals that these waves are not mere embellishments as they’re also a protective design that gives additional strength to the edges of the suitcase.

It’s clear that Samsonite’s strength is innovation. Last year, Samsonite collaborated with Google to launch Track&Go, a beacon device that allows a bag to be tracked by its owner through an app. It is also testing a cooling backpack fitted with an air-conditioning facility that can lower temperatures by 2°C (a blessing for those living in humid areas like Malaysia). Other innovations that consumers can expect to enjoy are shock-absorbing wheels, braking technology and anti-theft zippers. “If you look at these initiatives, they are real to what consumers need,” explains Peerubandi. “Our innovations have been very close to the pressing needs of travellers and outstanding solutions to whatever storage and luggage woes they may face.”

Speaking of innovation, Samsonite is proving itself willing to evolve with the times by branching into the online sphere. Last year, it launched a multi-brand online store for Singaporean consumers to much success, and plan to get the Malaysian version online by the first quarter of 2018. “E-commerce gives us the opportunity to reach consumers in faraway areas or even those who are on the fence about our products. Today’s consumers can shop anywhere, but they will always do some research on the Internet. So, it’s important for them to see the brand and experience it online. The Internet is also democratising for us because we can show different aspects of the product and brand story,” he asserts.

So, what is the brand story? “Essentially, it’s a message to consumers: we are here to take care of your real needs,” clarifies Peerubandi. “We live on a promise of providing you high-quality products. Samsonite will keep pushing innovation boundaries in the suitcase segment and to provide exceptional solutions.”