Rimowa wants to sell more than suitcases

Bloomberg

LVMH’s Rimowa wants to sell travellers more than just its ribbed aluminum suitcases, saying it’s missing out on all their fun.
“What I’d like for us to be in five years is obviously a culturally relevant brand in the space of travel, hopefully not only selling suitcases but other travel-related products and really own this journey for the customer,” Rimowa CEO Alexandre Arnault, one of LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault’s five children, said at the Conde Nast International Luxury Conference. While Rimowa’s luggage is with customers for the “non-enjoyable” part of a trip, between home, airports and hotel, “in the actual enjoyable part of the travel, the brand isn’t linked to you,” Arnault said.
Arnault said Rimowa, which was founded in 1898 and LVMH agreed to take over in 2016, is going to try to “make more links” to travelling customers by offering different types of products and services, while continuing to provide products for the “dreadful part of travel.”
With more than 4,000 stores worldwide, LVMH has been boosted by a rising Chinese middle class that is traveling more than ever. It’s also gaining from a push into e-commerce and new products to entice young consumers — like luxury sneakers and iPhone cases styled like Louis Vuitton trunks.