Delsey Paris, the 80-year-old French luggage brand, is accelerating its India growth strategy as the country’s premium travel market expands, with the company targeting India to become its fourth-largest market worldwide within the next three years, Gilles Bariguian, Global Chief Executive Officer, Delsey Paris, told ETRetail.
The brand, which entered India in 2012 through a partnership with VIP Industries and re-entered through a 100 per cent FDI subsidiary in 2018, has scaled to nearly 150 points of sale across the country and is now expanding its retail, digital, and premium product play.
“India is going to become our number four country worldwide. The size of the country is important, but more than that, the culture and spirit of Indian consumers are important for us. We are an emotional brand, and Indians are very emotional and spiritual, so the fit is very strong. We just need to crack the consumer,” he asserted.
India is currently contributing around 5 per cent of Delsey’s global business, but the country has emerged as the brand’s fastest-growing market.
“Today, India is our number one country in terms of growth. Globally, we are growing at around 10 per cent, but in India we are growing at around 20 per cent,” Bariguian added.
Founded in 1946, Delsey Paris today operates across 100 countries with 2,600 points of sale globally. The brand sells one product every eight seconds, holds more than 230 patents, and positions itself as the fourth-largest global luggage brand.
Going ahead, Delsey sees India as a major white space opportunity driven by premiumisation and rising travel aspirations.
“India is moving towards premiumisation, but we want to premiumise in an emotional way. We want to own the emotional territory of travelling,” Bariguian said.
The company currently offers around 150 SKUs in India across luggage, backpacks, and travel accessories, with luggage contributing nearly 90 per cent of its revenue. However, backpacks are emerging as a major growth opportunity.
“Today, backpacks are only 5 per cent of our business, while for some competitors it is around 40 per cent. This is a huge white space for us,” he said.
To accelerate growth, Delsey is strengthening its innovation pipeline with multiple launches planned between July and December. The brand will launch its premium aluminium luggage range in September, with cabin sizes starting at around Rs 70,000 and going up to Rs 1 lakh-1.25 lakh.
“We are launching aluminium in five colours and also launching the lightest luggage in July. Innovation on the core product is very important for us,” Bariguian said.
The brand is also expanding its premium retail footprint in India. Currently, Delsey operates 40+ exclusive brand outlets and nearly 150 points of sale across channels.
The company has recently opened three stores in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai and is expanding into markets including Surat, Coimbatore, Pune and Ahmedabad.
“We want to go beyond the metros. The next phase is about building clusters and reaching more consumers across India,” he said.
Delsey plans to add 5-7 exclusive brand outlets over the next three years, while adding more than 20 points of sale annually through a mix of shop-in-shops, multi-brand outlets and department stores.
A typical Delsey exclusive store requires an investment of around Rs 50 lakh and spans 750-1,000 sq ft.
The brand’s omnichannel strategy is also evolving, with online currently contributing around 25 per cent of India’s business. Delsey expects digital contribution to increase to nearly 40 per cent over the next three years, while EBOs will contribute another 40 per cent.
“Digital is a key pillar for us. We are relaunching our AI-driven website and moving from being only a luggage company to becoming a mobility solution company,” Bariguian said.
Premium ranges currently contribute 60-65 per cent of sales from exclusive stores, while department stores see higher demand for mid-range products.
Delsey is also extending its focus on durability and sustainability, with plans to move towards a 10-year warranty.
“Our warranty is going to 10 years. We want to reinforce durability, and around 40 per cent of our products will be sustainable,” he added.
The company is also preparing for its next retail evolution with plans to launch a global flagship experience concept by 2027, focused on the broader travel and mobility ecosystem.
“We are no longer looking only at luggage. We are looking at mobility solutions and creating experiences around travel,” Bariguian said.
With India’s premium consumer base expanding and international travel becoming a stronger aspiration among affluent Indians, Delsey believes the country can become one of its biggest growth engines.
“If India doubles its business and we maintain even a 5 per cent share, it will already become a very big market for us. The opportunity is huge,” Bariguian concluded.
