TUMI, the leading international premium travel accessories and lifestyle brand, has unveiled its latest South African flagship store in Cape Town and a renovated Sandton City outlet.  It will launch a new online store shortly.

The latest addition to TUMI’s retail network is situated at one of Cape Town’s most prestigious and busiest addresses —Canal Walk shopping centre. Located in this popular mall, South Africa’s jetsetters and international visitors alike will be able to experience a brand which appeals to the individual accustomed to business-class travel, top hotels, and who also wants the ultimate in luggage. In addition to quality luggage and travel bags, TUMI stores offer business cases and travel accessories such as jackets and electronic equipment. The new store is the first bespoke, stand-alone TUMI store in Cape Town, enabling consumers to experience in the appropriate setting its world-class business and travel essentials. These blend flawless functionality with an aesthetic of ingenuity.

“The TUMI brand is widely known in its US home market, as well as Europe, as an exclusive product. It is for this reason we opted for the upscale location of Canal Walk, which attracts a high percentage of international visitors, as well as discerning South African travellers,” says Tom O’Flaherty, managing director of Tumi Southern Africa. TUMI is marketed and distributed by a joint venture (JV) between Tumi Inc. and local businessmen, Tom O’Flaherty and Rob Kunze.  The JV took local control of the TUMI brand in 2017 and the team set out a comprehensive expansion and marketing plan.  The brand has seen a 10 percent increase in units sold, which has been the result of a more diverse range of products being stocked, and pricing which has become more competitive comparative to international prices.  The direct supply chain to TUMI enabled the JV to reduce the previous prices, he explains.

“The JV also enables us to bring the latest products to the market much quicker than was previously the case.”The new Canal Walk store joins the brand’s recently renovated outlet in Sandton, together with a licensed store at OR Tambo International Airport. The brand’s choice of store locations at exclusive retail centres and airports reflects TUMI’s business strategy for African expansion.

“We aim to build the brand image in key, upmarket shopping precincts.  We have a growth strategy which will roll out as appropriate locations become available.  We have two target markets: South Africa’s fast growing high-income sector which travels outbound primarily on business; and the increasing number of inbound international tourists visiting especially Cape Town and our game reserves,” says O’Flaherty.

TUMI is expanding into a growth market: a study by Grant Thornton International published in January 2017 shows that South Africa’s outbound tourism has grown by 6,2 percent between 2006 and 2015 and is set to continue to accelerate. Furthermore, 54 percent of outward travellers originate from Gauteng, and 25 percent from Cape Town. 

The Cape Town TUMI store is located on the upper level of the Canal Walk shopping centre and the Johannesburg store is on the lower level of Sandton City.

For more information, visit www.tumi.com

 Samsonite Southern Africa – the local arm of global luggage giant – planted indigenous trees at the Zandspruit Primary School in Johannesburg during September to commemorate Arbour Day 2017 and Tourism Month.  

Rob Kunze, director of Samsonite Southern Africa, said that the initiative is being  implemented in conjunction with local environmental leadership programme Miss Earth, which is committed to creating leaders who can grow environmental and sustainability awareness and help preserve South Africa’s natural heritage.  He said that 10 trees were planted on September 1. The remaining 20 will be planted in within the next few weeks in other deserving areas.   

Arbour Day, which has been celebrated worldwide for over 100 years in spring, not only marks the first day of spring but also celebrates the importance of trees and the role they play in our environment via tree planting ceremonies. In modern times, it also aims to highlight an educate people on the dangers of deforestation and the dangers of climate change. Tourism Month is celebrated annually in September and aims to encourage South Africans to explore their own country in order to grow domestic tourism.

Kunze said that Samsonite Southern Africa had grown its business considerably as more and more South Africans are travelling. Last year, according to a study by Grant Thornton International, South Africa’s outbound tourism has grown by 6,2 percent. This is expected to continue despite tough economic times.

Samsonite Southern Africa is the market leader in the local luggage sector with brands such as Samsonite, American Tourister, Lipault and TUMI.   He said that the downside was that an increase in travel - and in air travel, in particular - meant more greenhouse gas emissions.  “As beneficiaries of the growth of air travel and as responsible corporate citizens who can make a difference by improving the school environment for the learners at Zandspruit Primary School by providing a better aesthetic environment and shade in the playground in future years, Samsonite can make a difference for generations to come,” he said.  

Director of Miss Earth SA, Ella Bella Leite, pointed out that September was not just about planting trees but was also both tourism and heritage month. “This gives us an opportunity to recognise our role in the environment. Our natural heritage - the environment - is in need of citizens to care, conserve and take responsibility. The Miss Earth SA programme aims to develop young leaders in the environment who will implement this ethos and change behaviour. By partnering with Wild Route Environmental Consultants, Gebco Compost and Samsonite, we were able to reach communities and bring a little ‘green love into their lives,” she said.  

For more information, visit www.houseofsamsonite.co.za and http://missearthsa.co.za/