NEW YORK — Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, a veritable outdoor mall filled with upscale shoppers, would seem to be a perfect retail location for luggage brand Tumi.
“SoHo has been the natural progression where we think our Manhattan development should go,” said Laurence Franklin, chief executive officer of the 30-year-old luggage, handbag and outerwear firm. “It’s a great way to showcase the brand and it’s the absolute right demographic for us.”
The store is located on Prince Street across from the bustling Apple computer store, and architect Steve Lochte of Brand & Allen Architects has made good use of its narrow space.
The 1,000-square-foot shop has swirling bamboo walls with cubbies for the bags and luggage. The building’s original Corinthian-style cast-iron columns divide the space. The boutique’s modern, Zen-like atmosphere mirrors the bags: ergonomic and stylish.
Handbags take prominence in the front of the store, while luggage and small leather goods are throughout the back.
Women’s handbags range from nylon to leather styles. The Stan tote is an oversized flat bag that features navy textured leather with raspberry contrast tipping and stitching and turn-lock closure and retails for $325. The Bubble satchel, also from spring, retails for $195 and is done in the company’s new circular embroidered nylon in colors such as jute with persimmon stitching.
Franklin estimates the SoHo store will hit $2 million in first-year sales. The firm considers the boutique to represent the next generation of store design.
The company is rapidly expanding its retail presence, Franklin said. With the addition of the Prince Street location, Tumi has five stores in New York and 30 in the U.S., and plans for 75 within the next three to four years. The number of shops in Europe, including France, England and Germany, is slated to double in that time, as well. The company’s next endeavor is to open a 1,000-square-foot boutique in the Westchester Mall in White Plains, N.Y.
There are also plans for two to three shops in Asia. Larry Lein, executive vice president, said this is the right time for Tumi to begin an aggressive retail strategy.
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The firm unveiled the new Signature collection and SoHo store to the social set on Thursday with a shopping event to benefit the Henry Street Settlement House. The charity’s committee members, Tinsley Mortimer, Zani Gugelmann, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Marisa Noel Brown and Lydia Fenet, were all in attendance to support the cause.
“It’s a great way to create an awareness for the organization while checking out Tumi’s great collection,” said Fenet, committee chairwoman.