With the opening of Samsonite’s flagship store at Havelock City Mall in Colombo, Sri Lankan consumers can now find top quality products for all their travel needs under one roof, Vinay Reddy – Country Head of Samsonite said.
In an exclusive interview with Newswave, Mr Reddy said Sri Lanka had been part of the iconic luggage brand’s plans for a long time. “We wanted to expand our retail footprint in Sri Lanka, though we are already present through ODEL premium department stores, but an exclusive brand store is something we have always been looking for,” he said.
The company had originally planned to open a flagship store in Sri Lanka in 2020, but this had to be postponed due to the COVID pandemic, Mr Reddy revealed.
He acknowledged the challenging business environment in Sri Lanka owing to the economic crisis, but noted that despite the challenges, the country is one of Samsonite’s key markets where the company wanted to expand its footprint.
“We felt 2023/24 would be the right time to make a mark with our retail footprint. Sri Lanka has seen the worst of it and from here it will only bounce back. We want to grow with Sri Lanka’s economy and business. From that perspective, I think the timing is right,” he further said.
Since its commencement in 1910, Samsonite has been at the forefront of creating trusted, innovative, and sustainable products that elevate the way people travel. The brand has always stood for high quality, innovative products and great service. “Every innovation you can think of in the travel business and travel products has been started by Samsonite at some point,” Mr Reddy observed.
Mr Reddy said he felt Sri Lankan consumers have still not got the exposure in terms of great global brands, especially in the travel category which is Samsonite’s area of expertise. While a lot of local or imported labels are already in the market, the kind of quality, sustainable and innovative products that consumers are looking for were not available. Samsonite is the only brand that fills that gap, he stressed.
“This is our first exclusive store where consumers can find products for all their needs. This includes luggage for both men and women, for short travel or for long trips, for business, for business overnight travelers, accessories and cross-body bags. For all kinds of travel that one can think of, consumers will be able to find everything in one place in one exclusive store.”
Samsonite plans to open a couple of more stores in Sri Lanka in the coming years, said Mr Reddy. “This is our first exclusive store. It’s a new mall, so we wanted to have a footprint here. Maybe from here with the economy improving, our aspirations will also move up along with it.”
Softlogic Holdings PLC had been Samsonite’s partner in Sri Lanka for a long time, with the brand being present through ODEL outlets, added Mr Reddy. He said the company values its partnership with Softlogic and ODEL. “We want to help the Sri Lankan economy grow and at the same time, offer Sri Lankan consumers quality products that they have not been exposed to before,” he concluded.
