Handbag sales down.

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

#16
starbucksqueen said:
I was reading through news items on my phone and I had come across an article that said handbag sales fell 8 percent in 2017. Thought it was one of those poorly written clickbait articles. Anyway, I did some more digging and the new is legit. Handbag sales did fall 8 percent in 2017. The sale of handbags generated $7 billion. (probably more if you think of women buying fake bags) It seems that women are buying more backpacks and duffles. Here's the link from a recent Forbes article:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/richar...north-face-northface-npd-osprey/#4277628a68b4
Click to expand...

Interesting article. I think backpack sales have increased (women) because it's a trend that hans't been around for a while (since the last time) so if a woman wants one she has to go and buy one (YKWIM) but I don't think the actual overall figure is huge.
 
  • Like
Reactions: doni
#17
Interesting reading, many thanks. 8% is huge.

I wonder whether it has to do with the younger generations too. My impression is that at the younguest segment things are possibly hanging on the Asian market (well, at all leves but...)? When recently in Bangkok I was surprised to see so many young girls holding handbags. And it made me realize that in Europe that is no longer so much the case. And I say it as the mother of a teenage girl who asked for a Falabella for Christmas. But was she mostly wears is a nylon Eastpack Fanny bag. Over here you see so many University students with Kanken and other backpacks when it used to be NF and its lookalikes. My daughter is more interested in fashion than most, and hence in my bags. But I wonder, because she like her friends are very aware of sustainability issues and the like and I can see they may have a problem with leather moving forward. Also, there is fashion fatigue, and handbag fatigue, and consumerism fatigue, all the minimalist movement, focus on experiences etc... I wonder as this generation becomes part of the buying market, this has started to have an impact?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ksuromax, CoachMaven, Mariapia and 3 others
#18
papertiger said:
Very good points
4. Designer bags are too expensive period. I did a cost analysis allowing for inflation and bags were still 1/3 higher than 10 years ago.
5. There are no new designs
Click to expand...

These two points.

It is funny that as prices go up total turnover goes down. Talk about backfire...
And price stopped d relating to quality long ago.

And the second point. I was thinking about it the other day, when someone in the forum asked for bags with a slip that you can slide in your carry on. Silence was the answer.... It is maybe not what I would go for, but as I engineer ways for my Bazar not to fall from the top of my suitcase I can see the usefulness, Which designer or contemporary brand offers that? Or any kind of innovation that is in sync with current needs? It amazes me how many bags feature pockets that don’t fit an iPhone or ‘almost’ fit an iPad but no quite or awckardly... not to talk about truly innovative stuff I don’t even know I need. All we get instead is ANOTHER flap bag with a chain.
 
  • Like
Reactions: starbucksqueen, ksuromax, Elizabel and 3 others
#19
doni said:
These two points.

It is funny that as prices go up total turnover goes down. Talk about backfire...
And price stopped d relating to quality long ago.

And the second point. I was thinking about it the other day, when someone in the forum asked for bags with a slip that you can slide in your carry on. Silence was the answer.... It is maybe not what I would go for, but as I engineer ways for my Bazar not to fall from the top of my suitcase I can see the usefulness, Which designer or contemporary brand offers that? Or any kind of innovation that is in sync with current needs? It amazes me how many bags feature pockets that don’t fit an iPhone or ‘almost’ fit an iPad but no quite or awckardly... not to talk about truly innovative stuff I don’t even know I need. All we get instead is ANOTHER flap bag with a chain.
Click to expand...

:yes: and chain bags are another economy dressed as a design feature. A proper adjustable bag strap with edged/stitched sides and other work is more costly to make especially in terms of labour. Are chain bags cheaper for us? :nogood:

It tales a lot of work to make a proper rolled handle that fits a hand, Now even on handbags and hand-held bags there are just flat straps.

Even the straps on H's new Cinhetic bag has a thin chain and flat handle that's basically just two flat straps glued together - that bag cost serious money.

Other cheap tricks made to look like innovations = pouches as bags, WOC and cosmetic bags at handbag prices,
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: NOIRetMoi, lovingmybags, sneedonist and 5 others
#22
I also think traffic on this board is down and has been for like 2 years. I think things cycle and tastes change. What once seemed perfectly reasonable, spending thousands of dollars on a piece of leather shaped like a handbag, now seems absurd. At the same time people are looking for more practicality and cost value, luxury brands are trying to become more "exclusive" by putting up a barrier between their products and the middle classes that have propped up their profits for 20 years. Top brands only want to see their bags on the arms of the richest, prettiest, youngest, thinnest people, but those same young people are turning to vintage and artisan options and away from branding. Honestly, I have no sympathy for the fashion industry. You make a business model out of calling out a huge chuck of your own customers as undesirables, then you deserve it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lovingmybags, Amazona, scrpo83 and 10 others
#24
starbucksqueen said:
I was reading through news items on my phone and I had come across an article that said handbag sales fell 8 percent in 2017. Thought it was one of those poorly written clickbait articles. Anyway, I did some more digging and the new is legit. Handbag sales did fall 8 percent in 2017. The sale of handbags generated $7 billion. (probably more if you think of women buying fake bags) It seems that women are buying more backpacks and duffles. Here's the link from a recent Forbes article:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/richar...north-face-northface-npd-osprey/#4277628a68b4
Click to expand...

I am totally more into backpacks and spend just as much on them as I would a handbag. They take me from work to the gym and yoga. Also, they're wonderful carryons, especially for short trips. I have one from a company called Wills Leather and another from Lululemon.
 
#25
vintagefinds said:
I also think traffic on this board is down and has been for like 2 years. I think things cycle and tastes change. What once seemed perfectly reasonable, spending thousands of dollars on a piece of leather shaped like a handbag, now seems absurd. At the same time people are looking for more practicality and cost value, luxury brands are trying to become more "exclusive" by putting up a barrier between their products and the middle classes that have propped up their profits for 20 years. Top brands only want to see their bags on the arms of the richest, prettiest, youngest, thinnest people, but those same young people are turning to vintage and artisan options and away from branding. Honestly, I have no sympathy for the fashion industry. You make a business model out of calling out a huge chuck of your own customers as undesirables, then you deserve it.
Click to expand...

This is another reason I buy preloved or not at all now. The way I'm treated in stores is gross sometimes. I'm upper middle class, but I'm snubbed by these brands. I can take my money to brands that appreciate my business.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lovingmybags, Amazona, starbucksqueen and 1 other person
#26
Lilybarb said:
The run on the backpacks vs handbags could be a generational preference. Most backpacks I see are on the young & very young.
Click to expand...

It may depend on your location. I live in a city where people walk, bike and take public transportation, and I’m seeing an increase in backpacks on people of all ages. It’s more common on younger people (especially students) but it feels like it’s catching up on the over-40 set as well. It also feels like more women are turning to backpacks than I’ve ever seen before.
 
  • Like
Reactions: starbucksqueen
#28
doni said:
Interesting reading, many thanks. 8% is huge.

I wonder whether it has to do with the younger generations too. My impression is that at the younguest segment things are possibly hanging on the Asian market (well, at all leves but...)? When recently in Bangkok I was surprised to see so many young girls holding handbags. And it made me realize that in Europe that is no longer so much the case. And I say it as the mother of a teenage girl who asked for a Falabella for Christmas. But was she mostly wears is a nylon Eastpack Fanny bag. Over here you see so many University students with Kanken and other backpacks when it used to be NF and its lookalikes. My daughter is more interested in fashion than most, and hence in my bags. But I wonder, because she like her friends are very aware of sustainability issues and the like and I can see they may have a problem with leather moving forward. Also, there is fashion fatigue, and handbag fatigue, and consumerism fatigue, all the minimalist movement, focus on experiences etc... I wonder as this generation becomes part of the buying market, this has started to have an impact?[/QUOTE]

Those are all really good points. I was also thinking about the minimalist movement (trend?) although I think for some, going down to a really small number of bags has just increased their buy/sell/buy cycle. There are some bags that I rarely wear but won’t get rid of because I don’t ever want to feel the need to re-buy them, IYKWIM. Just thinking about that increases my feeling of fatigue! :P

The sustainability issue is really on point. I just read somewhere that unlike my generation (I grew up in the materialistic 80s), people in their teens and 20s now really focus on sustainability and the ethics of the companies they buy from. If you’re thinking about those things instead of what’s “cool,” it makes more sense to have, say, a super functional backpack for everyday and one other smaller bag for going out. I can’t remember my bag wardrobe ever feeling that simple but the idea is refreshing!
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: msd_bags
#30
Amazona said:
I think some of the fall might be because the market is starting to be somewhat saturated with designer bags and the preloved market is so strong. IDK if I bought 1 or none new bags last year, but I take advantage of the preloved market and the reasonable pricing.

Also, what might be driving the market down are the constant price hikes that make even the wealthy, unwilling to pay for high end luxury. When the prices and quality don't meet, it doesn't matter how much money one has - they just don't want to buy.
Click to expand...
I couldn't have said it better, Amazona..:smile:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top