Samsonite to expand retail presence with e-commerce website

Global luggage maker Samsonite International SA plans to launch its own e-commerce website while expanding its bricks-and-mortar retail presence in the Chinese mainland to increase direct-to-consumer sales. It will also cooperate with more Chinese designers to cater to the increased aesthetic demands of Chinese consumers.

"Online sales currently contribute 20 percent of the total sales in the mainland, on third-party platforms such as Tmall and JD, and it is the fastest growing sector. With the launch of our own e-commerce website, I think the sales will continue to grow in both online and offline platforms, because our website is not only used for selling products, but also to communicate with the customers and to market our brands," Samsonite CEO Ramesh Tainwala told China Daily.

The Chinese mainland is the second-biggest market for Samsonite, but Tainwala said it is the market the company considers most important, because Chinese customers are buying products not only inside China, but also outside the country.