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Thirty-five years after its founding in 1989, the luggage brand Calpak is getting its first permanent storefront. Last week, the brand, which conducts business online and through wholesalers like Nordstrom, opened a location in Century City Mall in Los Angeles, California.
About 80% to 85% of Calpak’s SKUs are available in the store, with the exception of some colorways. Items are grouped by category, including duffels, roller bags, backpacks and packing cubes.
The store, while a major milestone for Calpak, isn’t the brand’s first go-around with physical retail. In 2019, Calpak held a four-day pop-up in New York City. The event was so successful that Calpak had to bring in more inventory as styles sold out, said Jeannie Shin, Calpak’s vp of marketing. After learning from attendees that they liked being able to see products in person, Calpak looked into opening a permanent store in 2020. It paused plans due to the pandemic, but it used those four years to expand more into accessories and launch new categories like baby gear. Now, Calpak aims to use its stores to show off the full breadth of its merchandise, drive lifetime value and raise brand awareness.
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According to Anshuman Jaiswal, VP of Growth Strategy and Operations at Nextuple, an omnichannel order management advisory and software firm, there’s no shortage of online luggage players — but there’s a reason why stores are so important to these brands: young shoppers. Recent data indicates that the majority of Gen Z and millennials still prefer to make purchases in stores. “Online, mobile and social media are extremely important to engage and convert the customer, but equally important are the human touch and personalized product experiences,” Jaiswal told Modern Retail.
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View the full Modern Retail article: Why luggage brand Calpak is opening its first store
