Samsonite to open 20 EBOs in 2010

Samsonite, a premium travel goods manufacturer plans to open 20 exclusive ‘Samsonite Business’ outlets in 2010. These stores will be a mix of company owned and franchised outlets in tier I and II cities. The preferred locations of the stores include airports, shopping malls and business districts.

As per the officials, the first two stores will be launched at the domestic and international airports by the first week of January 2010. The company's business segment, which accounts for 40 per cent of sales, is set to be the company's growth driver. These stores will account for 50 per cent of the annual budget of the company. The company signed lease to open its business outlets at Hyderabad and Bengaluru airports.

The expected cost of these exclusive stores will be around Rs. 25 lakh each with an area of 400-500 sq. ft. These stores will stock business travel gears like laptops cases, backpacks, travel bag, and other accessories. Presently, the company has 235 existing stores, out of which 180 are franchised outlets while 55 are company owned. Globally, Samsonite has 23 plants in different countries.