Retailer Speaks Out: The Merits Of Purchasing Quality Luggage
When Rick Sylvain, a writer for the Detroit Free Press, advised consumers against purchasing new luggage, Doug Chunovich, president of Harrison Luggage, Berkley, MI, had a lot to say on the subject. Mr. Sylvain's remarks: "Avoid brand-new luggage. You ever met a new suitcase that doesn't look like an old suitcase after one trip? So I'm perfectly content buying off the clearance rack luggage with an imperfection or two. As for those people who buy expensive ballistic luggage with the same weave as bulletproof material--hello? No suitcase is likely to be shot as long as it does what it's told and remains calm."
The following is Mr. Chunovich's response:
"Your comment concerning avoiding brand new luggage is, in my opinion, the worst advice someone can possibly give the consumer.
"Not only is it in poor judgment, but it is absolutely false. Having been in the luggage business for almost 50 years and having one of the largest repair centers in the Midwest, I can say with complete confidence that buying better domestic luggage is a better investment than most investments the consumer will make. We as consumers spend thousands of dollars on our wardrobes that are out of style in a short time and on automobiles that depreciate before we drive them out of the dealership. A fine piece of luggage may cost $300, which is the price of a cocktail dress someone may wear only once or twice. I'm sure that several of your suits are worth many more hundreds of dollars more than the price of a good garment bag.
"We perform approximately 40 repairs a day and very rarely do we find our better "made in the U.S.A." luggage coming in for any major kind of repair. We stock over 85% of domestic products, while the average luggage, department, catalog showroom, and warehouse stores less than 40% of these products. Our U.S. manufacturers have lost a huge market share due to inexpensive luggage products being imported from the Far East. This has occurred not because the import luggage is as fine a product as the domestic luggage at a lesser price, but because the consumer is uneducated with regard to buying luggage and leather goods. This, along with someone who is considered a travel expert making such an outlandish claim, is a major reason the airlines are constantly being blamed for damaging luggage when, in fact, airline damage often occurs as a direct result or poorly constructed luggage.
"Thus, partly because of your advice, the consumer frequently does not purchase better quality luggage because they mistakenly fear that the airlines will damage it anyway, so why not buy a cheaper case? Misconceptions such as these, which you seem to promote, actually dupe the consumer in the long run.
"It is amazing that the consumer will buy a case because of a lifetime guarantee and yet when he gets off the airplane and notices something wrong with his case, he will file an airline repair claim instead of seeking warranty work. Airlines are paying for these repairs, which are frequently not their fault, but the fault of the inferior, poorly constructed merchandise that the consumer is buying. This is costing the airlines hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. I have the same customers come into my store with an airline repair claim time and time again and continue to get their cases replaced. They have the nerve to say to me that they have never bought a new case, they just continue to get replacements. If this keeps happening to them, pretty soon it will cost us $2,000 to fly to Toledo. I'm not trying to say that the consumer should buy the most expensive luggage, but for every fine travel bag sold, there are one hundred others sold that are no more than a grocery bag to carry your expensive clothes and belongings in. Cordura® and Ballistic nylon have revolutionized the luggage industry. In the 12 or so years that this luggage has been in existence, I have seen only a very few pieces of this luggage come into our repair center. Why would you insult many of your readers who have bought ballistic nylon luggage for its wear, and not for its ability to withstand an attack? The benefits of ballistic nylon luggage have clearly proven over the years.
"Naturally, someone who travels only once or twice a year puts a lot less miles on a case than someone who travels five days a week. However, the pace of luggage is protecting a wardrobe that may be worth many hundreds of thousands of dollars. The trip itself can easily be ruined by inferior luggage that falls apart during the journey. A wardrobe can be out of style in a season and the trip is over in a couple of weeks, but the luggage still remains for use on the next trip.
"For the most part, I find your articles to be very informative and helpful, but these comments I have referred to are not based on facts, but rather on misconceptions. The media can influence the reader more than all the advertising dollars that the retailer or manufacturer can spend. These influences, such as yours, will mistakenly reinforce the consumer's belief that buying inexpensive luggage is the correct decision. The educated customer understands quality and knows that you get what you pay for. In other words, some customers buy for price over quality and others consider the quality in relation to the price.
"Your article undermines the credibility of the many fine retailers and American manufacturers that sell and produce better goods. We sell the finest domestic products available because we are truly confident in their quality. We know how our merchandise is constructed and how it withstands wear and tear over time. We take pride and spend a great deal of time in educating ourselves about our merchandise so that we, in turn, are able to educate our customers. I suggest that you research a topic in more depth before you pass on information and advice to your readers. We do not make every sale, but when the customer leaves my store, he will be better equipped to make a decision regarding the purchase of luggage and leather goods."
Sincerely,
Douglas Chunovich
President, Harrison Luggage