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Super premium luxury travel goods brand Hartmann will be available in India later this year.
The brand, established in 1887, was acquired by Samsonite last year.
Samsonite will open Hartmann’s first exclusive outlet at the Mumbai International Airport in March.
This will be followed by one at the Delhi International Airport by the end of this year.
In the next phase, two more outlets are planned, one in Chennai and yet another in Delhi, Leo Suh, Executive Vice-President, Samsonite Asia Ltd, told Business Line.
Suh was in Kumarakom for the company’s annual sales meet.
The new launch, targeting ultra high-end customers, will be priced between Rs 40,000 and Rs 1 lakh, he said.
Besides, the company will open 25 exclusive Hartmann retail stores across Asia this year.
India is the fourth largest market globally after the US, China and Korea, he added.
Samsonite is also looking at acquisitions globally in 2014 to emerge as a multiple brand entity focusing on various lifestyle products.
“There are plans to acquire some brands in India to cater to the lower segment of the market,” Suh added.
The company, through its brands Samsonite and American Tourister, has been consistently registering a 40 per cent growth in India over the past few years.
Key market South India has emerged as an important market, contributing 30-40 per cent of the total sales.
According to the company, its sales revenue crossed Rs 1,000 crore last year and it is aiming at 35 per cent growth this year.
It plans to add 60 more retail outlets in the country from the present 480.
Suh said 70 per cent of the products are imported from Belgium, China and Korea, and the remaining from the company’s manufacturing facility in Nashik as well as sourcing from vendors in that area.
However, there are plans to increase the capacity of the production unit from the present 60,000 units per month and also to open a new design and development centre for soft luggage.
Anushree Tainwala, Director, Marketing, pointed out that the luggage market in India is estimated at Rs 8,000 crore, of which the organised sector contributes about Rs 2,000 crore.
Mid-segment The focus is now on mid-segment consumers and the youth, who spend a lot on quality products.
Plans are also afoot to open a second front, attracting rural and mass market consumers with products that cost as low as Rs 2,750, she said.
(The writer was at Kumarakom, Kerala, at the invitation of Samsonite.)
sajeevkumar.v@thehindu.co.in
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