Former Business Director of Samsonite India Narendra Pratap Singh shares how his work focused on building structured retail formats that helped move luggage in India into organised retail
When Samsonite entered Shoppers Stop, it was not just a new retail partnership. It was a structural shift for the luggage category in India.
At the time, luggage was largely sold through multi-brand outlets. Pricing discipline was weak, discounting was common, and brand experience varied widely. Premium positioning was difficult to sustain in that environment. I believed that if luggage had to be taken seriously as a category, it needed to enter organised retail in a meaningful way.
Shoppers Stop offered that opportunity. It was the first department store to provide a controlled, curated environment where pricing, presentation, and consumer engagement could be managed consistently. Convincing a department store to allocate space for luggage was not easy. The category delivered lower returns per square foot compared to apparel or cosmetics, and multi-brand retailers often pushed discounting that diluted brand value. Still, this entry became an important starting point—not just for Samsonite, but for organised luggage retail in India.
When I joined Samsonite, I was responsible for the Western region. Despite the brand's global standing, its presence in India was limited. Products were priced significantly higher than domestic competitors, credit flexibility was constrained, and multi-brand retailers often pushed discounting that diluted brand value.
Rather than adapting the brand to the existing system, I felt the system itself had to change.
The Shoppers Stop shop-in-shop model allowed us to step away from price-led selling and move towards experience-led retail. It also helped reposition luggage closer to lifestyle categories rather than treating it as a purely functional product.
As shopping malls began emerging, the next step was to extend this thinking into new formats. Samsonite entered Crossroads (SOBO Central) at Haji Ali and later opened its first exclusive luggage store at Inorbit Mall, Malad, in 2004.
Here again, placement mattered. I was clear that luggage should not be pushed into generic accessory zones. The objective was to align Samsonite with premium lifestyle brands and allow consumers to view luggage as part of their travel and personal identity.
These decisions were not immediately obvious to developers, but performance over time helped establish the case.
Once the brand had visibility through department stores and malls, expansion had to be handled carefully. Instead of relying on traditional multi-brand outlets, we worked with franchise partners to create brand-dedicated stores.
This ensured consistency across pricing, merchandising, and service standards. Franchise partners benefited from clarity and structure, while the brand retained control over how it was represented in the market.
One of the more debated decisions was entering airports. The common view was that passengers would not buy luggage once they had already started their journey.
I disagreed.
Airports were the most relevant environment for travel goods. After multiple attempts, we secured space for a small-format store. The results spoke for themselves. Sales performance challenged existing assumptions and opened the door for wider airport retail expansion.
This channel later became an important visibility driver, influencing brand perception well beyond the airport itself.
Over time, Samsonite's India presence evolved into a multi-channel network—department stores, mall-based exclusive stores, franchises, and airports. Each channel was developed with intent and discipline, reducing dependence on multi-brand outlets and strengthening direct consumer engagement.
I was personally involved in location planning, feasibility assessment, store design, operations, and team development during this phase. The objective was always to build a scalable but controlled retail structure.
Today, I am retired from routine corporate roles, in line with employment regulations. That said, I remain deeply engaged in what I see as my second innings.
This phase allows me to stay active both professionally and socially. On the professional front, I continue to contribute through advisory and knowledge-sharing engagements. On the social front, I am involved in skill training and business support initiatives for enterprises run by the visually impaired.
It is fulfilling work and a meaningful way to apply decades of experience across both domains.
Looking back, the entry into Shoppers Stop was not just an early win. It set in motion a series of decisions that helped reshape how luggage is retailed in India. The category moved closer to organised retail, experience-led formats, and long-term brand building. That shift, more than any single store or channel, remains the most significant outcome.
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