Market Positioning and Marketing Strategies of Best-Selling Luggage Brands in China

 

Market Positioning and Marketing Strategies of Best-Selling Luggage Brands in China

I. Market Landscape: Brand Differentiation under Consumption Hierarchy

China's luggage market is undergoing structural transformation. The market size is expected to exceed 320 billion yuan by 2025, with online channels accounting for 38.5%. Segments like smart luggage and eco-friendly materials are growing rapidly. Amid the consumption hierarchy trend, the market presents a "dumbbell-shaped" structure: international brands dominate 60% of the high-end market, domestic brands are breaking through in the mid-range segment, and e-commerce white-label products compete for the sinking market with low-price strategies.

 

Typical Cases:

• Samsonite, as the global luggage leader, positions its main brand in the mid-range (1,000-3,500 yuan), TUMI targets the high-end business market (over 5,000 yuan), and American Tourister focuses on the mass market (300-800 yuan). However, impacted by "budget alternatives" in recent years, its hard-shell suitcases on Tmall are priced mainly between 1,000-3,500 yuan, contrasting sharply with luxury brands like Rimowa, which cost over 10,000 yuan.

• Eminent builds a competitive moat through full industrial chain layout, covering a price range of 200-2,000 yuan. By 2024, it had over 1,000 physical stores and ranked among the top 10 in Amazon's category for five consecutive years online. Its smart flower luggage (co-developed with Huawei HarmonyOS) and Apple Find My positioning function serve as differentiated selling points, appealing to users seeking both functionality and technology in their travel luggage.

II. Market Positioning: Precise Anchoring of Demand Coordinates

1. Scenario-based Segmentation

Brands match consumption needs through scenario-specific product matrices. For example:

◦ Business Travel: Eminent launches front-opening suitcases and silent universal wheels to meet quick security check needs; TraveRE collaborates with Smartisan Technology to create a business elite image through "rivetless design + ultra-light PC material" in their carry-on suitcases.
◦ Youth Trend: TraveRE attracts Gen Z with quirky aesthetic designs like "Piggy Bags" and "Taotao Bags," supported by Cantonese teahouse IP exhibitions and interactive stores, making their products stand out in the realm of best carry on luggage for young travelers.
◦ Outdoor Adventure: Toread introduces waterproof and shock-resistant backpacks made from recycled nylon, aligning with environmental trends, while also offering large suitcases suitable for extended trips.

 

2. Price Band Stratification

◦ High-end Market: Rimowa (owned by LVMH) prices its aluminum-magnesium alloy suitcases over 10,000 yuan, maintaining premium through self-operated channels and luxury brand endorsement.
◦ Mid-range Market: TraveRE, relying on Xiaomi's ecosystem, focuses on the 500-1,500 yuan market with "extreme cost-performance + minimalist design," achieving a 45% year-on-year sales growth in 2024. Their lightweight suitcases and cabin luggage are particularly popular among cost-conscious consumers, including medium suitcase options for versatile use.
◦ Mass Market: ULDUM occupies the top 3 in Pinduoduo's luggage category by pricing 20-inch carry-on suitcases below 200 yuan through live-streaming and cross-border e-commerce, appealing to buyers of cheap suitcases.

III. Marketing Strategies: Dual-Drive of Omni-channel and Digitalization

1. Content Marketing Reconstructs Brand Narrative

◦ Emotional Connection: A urban commuting brand abandons celebrity endorsements, instead choosing cross-generational professionals as spokespersons, conveying regional culture through the podcast "Voice of the Mountains" and "Riverside Growth"-themed stores, resonating with users of travel luggage.
◦ Design Empowerment: TraveRE consolidates brand value through "dopamine aesthetics" in fashion show livestreams, downplaying the immediate conversion of live commerce, and positioning their products as stylish yet functional travel essentials, including cabin suitcases and suitcase sets.
◦ Technical Storytelling: Eminent builds a quality trustworthiness by establishing its own testing center, highlighting 32 processes and 10 tests, addressing consumer pain points through a "technical-focused approach," especially in their hard shell suitcase offerings.

 

2. Construction of Omni-channel Network

◦ Online Breakthrough: Xiaomi TraveRE achieves user co-creation through "participatory marketing" on Xiaomi Mall and Douyin self-broadcasting, shortening new product R&D cycles by 30%. Their lightweight luggage and travel suitcases are popular among tech-savvy consumers, with options ranging from compact hand luggage to spacious suitcase sets.
◦ Offline Experience: Samsonite opens flagship stores in top luxury malls like MixC, launching AR virtual fitting functions to boost customer unit prices, especially for their premium suitcase sets and hard shell suitcases.
◦ Cross-border Expansion: Eminent expands into Southeast Asia through Amazon and independent websites, with cross-border e-commerce sales increasing by 39% year-on-year in 2024, including their range of kids luggage and cabin luggage designed for family travel.

 

3. Cross-industry Collaboration to Enhance Premium

◦ IP Co-branding: Eminent launches trendy collections with Coca-Cola and Snoopy, while TraveRE collaborates with the Dunhuang Museum to release guochao-themed luggage, increasing premium rates by 20%-30%. These co-branded products often include suitcase sets and travel luggage designs that blend cultural elements.
◦ Technical Cross-over: Eminent partners with Apple to introduce Find My positioning and develops smart locks with Huawei HarmonyOS, upgrading products from "packing tools" to "intelligent travel solutions," especially in their smart carry on suitcase range.

IV. Technological Revolution: The Leap from Manufacturing to Smart Manufacturing

1. Supply Chain Upgrading

◦ 3D modeling reduces proofing costs by 70%, automatic knife arrangement systems improve material utilization by 15%, and intelligent BOM tables enable precise cost control for various products, from large suitcases to compact hand luggage.
◦ Flexible production systems support MTM (made-to-measure), allowing users to select styles online and preview 3D effects in real-time, shortening delivery cycles by 40%, particularly for customized travel luggage and suitcase sets.

 

2. Material Innovation

◦ The usage rate of recycled polycarbonate (rPC) and marine plastic recycled particles exceeds 30%, while EU carbon tariffs urge enterprises to increase investment in environmental certifications, impacting the production of eco-friendly hard shell suitcases and lightweight luggage.
◦ Vegetable-tanned leather, with its unique texture developed through use, becomes a physical annotation of the brand concept of "growing with time," often used in premium hand luggage and cabin suitcases for a timeless appeal.

 

3. Intelligent Penetration

◦ Smart luggage integrates functions like GPS tracking and biometric locks, with a market size expected to reach 20 billion yuan by 2025, enhancing premium capacity by 25%. This includes smart carry on suitcases and travel suitcases with advanced features for modern travelers.
◦ Blockchain traceability systems are applied in over 20% of luxury luggage for anti-counterfeiting, enhancing brand trust, especially for high-end suitcase sets and hard shell suitcases that require authenticity verification.

V. Challenges and Trends

1. Existing Pain Points

◦ Competition from International Brands: Rimowa achieves fourfold sales growth in five years through LVMH group resources, while Samsonite suffers from a blurred brand image due to fragmented channels, affecting their market share in travel luggage and carry on suitcases.
◦ Price War Dilemma: E-commerce white-label products disrupt the market with "same-style low prices," and Samsonite's Tmall flagship store has seen numerous low-price counterfeits claiming to be "OEM factories," particularly for their hard shell suitcase models.
◦ Supply Chain Pressure: The price of genuine leather materials increased by 12% year-on-year in Q1 2025, and environmental regulations require luggage to have a 75% recyclability rate, putting transformation pressure on small and medium-sized enterprises, especially in producing eco-friendly lightweight luggage and hand luggage with sustainable materials.

 

2. Future Directions

◦ High-end Breakthrough: Domestic brands like Diplomat increase their market share in the 2,000-5,000 yuan price band by 27% through co-branded models, challenging the dominance of international brands in premium travel luggage and suitcase sets designed for discerning customers.
◦ Customization Explosion: Flexible production reduces personalized customization costs by 40%, with the custom luggage market share expected to reach 15% in 2025, including customized kids luggage and carry on suitcases tailored to individual preferences.
◦ Green Transition: The application rate of biodegradable materials will increase from 8% in 2023 to 22% in 2025, with circular economy models creating new growth poles, particularly for eco-friendly hard shell suitcases and lightweight luggage that align with global sustainability goals.

Conclusion

China's luggage industry is undergoing a qualitative change from "Made in China" to "Branded in China." Eminent builds a moat through full industrial chain layout, TraveRE achieves rapid growth relying on Xiaomi's ecosystem, and TraveRE creates a differentiated edge through design innovation-these brands' successes prove that in the era of consumption hierarchy, only by deeply integrating cultural expressiveness, supply chain efficiency, and technological innovation can brands break through the squeeze between international brands and e-commerce white labels.

 

In the future, as intelligence, greenization, and personalization trends accelerate, brands that truly understand user needs and dare to break traditions will become the leaders in rewriting industry rules, whether in travel luggage, best carry on luggage, or any other segment of the market.