Impact of the coronavirus pandemic on travel goods retail sales U.S. 2019-2020

The coronavirus pandemic had a significant impact on luggage sales value in the United States. In 2020, U.S. retail luggage sales declined by 59.7 percent in comparison to the previous year.

COVID-19 impact on luggage sales

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, commencing at the beginning of spring 2020, changed the way consumers shopped and travelled almost immediately. In an attempt to control the spread of the pandemic, several governments across the globe put in place strict shopping rules, curfews, and travel bans. In the United States, 77 percent of consumers reported that they stayed at home more, and 56 percent states they travelled less. It is due to these reasons why luggage sales during the pandemic dropped. Backpacks and handbags can be used in other more casual situations compared to luggage, which is primarily used during travel. In 2020, the global luggage market was valued at only 16 billion U.S. dollars, a steep decrease from the previous year.

The global luggage market

As more of the population gets vaccinated and adheres to preventative measures, governments worldwide begin opening up non-essential retail stores and their borders. Samsonite, the world’s leading luggage producer, had a steep decrease in revenue during the pandemic. In 2020, their revenue was down by more than 50 percent compared to the previous year. Fortunately, this trend is not expected to continue as consumers are itching to go travelling and shopping again. In fact, the global luggage market is expected to take advantage of this. Celebrities such as Harry Styles and Tyler, the Creator are already showing off luggage as part of their personal style in this post-pandemic era. By 2024, the global luggage market is expected to fully recover, and to exceed pre-pandemic values.