eBags Investment In Own Brand Pays: Popular Product Designs Fuel 75% YoY Q4 Sales Growth

DENVER, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- eBags, the industry-leading e-tailer and travel gear expert, reports that sales of its Branded products grew 75% during the fourth quarter of 2016, while margin dollars for the eBags Brand were up 104% in Q4.  Full year sales and margins for the eBags Brand grew 53% during 2016.

The growth was fueled by the launch of 11 new eBags Brand products in Q4 2016. The new product launches represent a significant pivot toward the company's deep expertise in product design—and an investment in this key brand differentiator for 2017 and beyond.  eBags' Brand products are now sold on the e-commerce sites for HSN, Staples and Target and at 36 Brookstone airport stores.

"Of the 90,000+ products we sell—including the world's best travel gear brands—it's our eBags Brand product line that is the real foundation of our business," says eBags CEO, Mike Edwards. "It's this kind of expertise that sets eBags apart from other travel companies: the ability to offer the widest selection of the best products in travel, and then step up to create new products when our customers identify a missing need."

Founded by former Samsonite executives in 1999 as early adopters in the e-commerce space, eBags learned to leverage the things other travel gear brands were doing well—as well as tap into the things nobody was doing at all. Driven by a desire to redefine "best in class" across the luggage, backpack and travel accessories categories, eBags launched its own private label line in 2001. Since then, the company has consistently balanced meticulous product design and a robust feedback loop, with nearly 3.4 million reviews from customers.  

"We design bags for real travelers. So even though we use only premium materials and employ top-tier construction techniques, customer feedback has always been the single most important thing we put into eBags Brand products," says Bernard Majeau, Senior Director of Product Design and Development. The eBags Brand product line is now 75+ strong. Highlights of the Q4 launches included:

• Fortis and Allura, two sleek new hardside spinner carry-ons
• TLS Convertible Wheeled Carry-On, a rolling suitcase/backpack
• Portage, an all-purpose toiletry kit in three different sizes
• Professional Slim Junior Laptop Backpack, a compact version of our top-rated business-casual laptop backpack

Amongst the most popular eBags products launched to date are the Ultralight Packing Cubes.  Customer Angela Breard from Dallas, Texas wrote about them, "This trip was the easiest packing and unpacking I have ever experienced. I don't know how I got along without these remarkable ultra-light packing cubes prior to this trip. The ultra-light cubes are GENIUS!"  eBags' Co-Founder and EVP, Peter Cobb, adds "From the beginning, it's been eBags' mission to use our outside-the-box thinking to help people travel smarter. It makes sense for us to focus on what we do best: listening to our customers, then delivering exactly that. We are so confident in our product excellence that we guarantee all eBags Branded products for life."

About eBags:  With more than 17 years in the travel goods industry and 28 million bags sold, eBags is the leading online retailer of luggage, backpacks and travel-related accessories. The company is devoted to helping its customers find the perfect travel gear for any journey. Ranked a top luggage retailer in 2016 by Consumer Reports, eBags features more than 90,000 products from over 900 brands, including Tumi, Samsonite, Bose, Kenneth Cole, Patagonia, The North Face, PrAna and more. For more information, visit eBags.com.

SOURCE eBags