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Representative AI generated imageTravel gear, once a niche category, has quickly evolved as a key segment in the retail landscape. This evolution is a strategic response to shifting market forces, technology convergence, and changes in consumer behavior redefining modern mobility. It is essential for companies to recognize and adapt to these changes to ensure sustainable growth and market leadership.
Redefining product strategy
Previously, travel accessories had been used as secondary offerings. Now, they are a separate, high-growth category calling for advanced product development. This requires a renewed strategic focus by manufacturers and retailers alike, shifting from product focus towards a complete concept of the contemporary traveler’s path.
Consider the evolution of travel accessories in urban India – the new-age professional needs products that commute smoothly between office spaces and personal explorations, merge with digital lives. This multifaceted demand drives the creation of versatile products that capture modern silhouettes, globally leading palettes, and high-quality products at pocket-friendly prices.
A Multi-Channel Approach
The notion that travel retail is confined to airport duty-free stores is essentially old-fashioned. The contemporary traveler’s experience is seamless, spanning numerous touchpoints. This requires a sophisticated omnichannel distribution approach that integrates online channels, exclusive brand outlets (EBOs), and multi-brand outlets (MBOs).
At Swiss Military, we are pursuing growth aggressively, focusing on driving substantial growth in retail presence, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. We recently opened our first-ever EBO in India, at Surat, Gujarat. This strategic push into diverse retail formats is crucial for ensuring brand visibility, accessibility, and market penetration.
Tapping into corporate demand
An increasingly significant revenue channel in the travel gear industry is corporate gifting.
The inherent utility and aspirational value of travel-related products make them ideal for corporate gifting initiatives. Businesses appreciate the worth of carefully crafted travel kits, overnighters, laptop bags as practical and meaningful presents that appeal to a mobile workforce and discerning clientele. This trend aligns with a broader cultural shift valuing experiences over material possessions, positioning travel gear as a catalyst for enabling those experiences.
The imperative of light intelligence
The success of travel gear in today’s market relies on its capability to deliver light intelligence, which is a blend of clean design, solid functionality, and easy portability. This means products that are not strongly branded as ‘travel-specific’ but rather as essential ‘life products’ that facilitate movement and productivity across all aspects of an individual’s day. For retailers, this means curating assortments that reflect this demand for versatile, high-performance gear that transcends traditional category boundaries. Products should emphasize real solutions to the problems of contemporary mobility, from effective packing to convenient access to technology and personal essentials.
A strategic roadmap for growth
For brands which are already positioned in the lifestyle and travel gear segments, these market shifts present significant opportunities. By continuing to invest in strategic product innovation, growth in multi-channel distribution, development of gifting as a growth driver, and designing for the ‘mobile mindset,’ companies can cement their position in the market and achieve sustainable growth. The retail future in this segment is to be owned by those who can sense and adapt to the changing demands of the dynamic, mobile consumer, making travel gear a central aspect of a contemporary, productive lifestyle.
The Future of Travel Retail
The underlying driver of these market shifts is the rampant adoption of a ‘mobile mindset’ by consumers. Static lifestyles are being replaced by dynamic movement patterns, as people are constantly switching between different contexts, from daily commutes to extended business travel.
For brands, this means that products must not only need to function well but also fit seamlessly into this mobile lifestyle. The concept of ‘ready-to-go’ has replaced ‘ready-to-wear,’ emphasizing the need for products that are inherently flexible products that are light, smartly designed for mobility and efficiency.
(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETRetail.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETRetail.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organization directly or indirectly.)
- Published On Aug 15, 2025 at 01:00 PM IST
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