The past couple of years have been challenging in a myriad of ways, but if you’re the type who absolutely lives for attending – or performing at – concerts the pandemic offered little in the way of release.
With a return to live performances in venues large and small, that familiar release-valve is back in play for many and commerce related to such activities, such as the protective cases and bags musicians rely on to lug their instruments and gear to and from gigs, is also back in full-swing. On top of that, how about the much-discussed surge in sales of fretted instruments during lockdown? Those guitars and ukes are now being set free from the confines of bedrooms and apartments and if a new music-making convert is going to be taking his or her fancy new six-string on that camping trip or for a week at the lake-house… well, odds are a bag or case will be needed.
We discussed the current state of this rebounding market segment with representatives from five of the most significant brands out there to get the scoop on what specific models are flying off the shelves – and how the most clever dealers go about displaying these things on the shelves to begin with.
With a return – or at least tentative/partial return – to live performances, have you noticed an uptick in demand for cases & bags recently?
Jeremy Payne: When looking at YTD sales of January through Mid-May, bag and case sales are up by significant margin, roughly 75 percent. We’re hoping to see this trend continue, not just from a sales perspective, but as a sign that people are getting back out and gigging. I haven’t played a gig in over two years and this stat gives me that itch to get back out and make music in front of a live audience.
Will Steven: Yes, we have. With more groups picking up new equipment to get back on the road we’ve been able to supply cases to resellers, production houses, and rental companies to make sure the gear makes it through the tour unharmed. Since the majority of our cases are made in Orange, California, we are able to react quickly to keep up with demand.
Irwin Berg: Yes, over the last eight months there has been a definite increase in demand.
Rob McCoy: We have seen an uptick in our products for live production. The live sound manufacturers slowed down a bit in releasing new products, so people are looking to make sure their current gear stays protected, which increases demand for our products.
Tom Dougherty: Yes, our data indicates that more musicians are gigging out once again. The welcomed return of the many small, music-inspired venues, clubs, and outdoors events, along with larger music-themed festivals and gatherings reveals that a more-normal music scene is creating an increase in demand.
For your brand, what are the current top-selling items in this category?
WS: Guitar cases, keyboard cases, drum cases, pro audio cases, and racks.
RM: We do well in a lot of segments in this category. From our speaker tote bag series to our custom flight cases for mixers, all of our live sound products are rebounding very well. One of our goals is always to provide multiple levels of protection for customers to accommodate their needs at all levels. We’ve been very successful because our gear can be used in so many ways.
TD: Both of our thoughtfully and uniquely designed Vectra® Series of IPX™ Soft Cases and Vectra® Molded cases, have seen an increase in demand. We attribute this trend to our ability to meet the needs of musicians, who are clearly expressing their desire for strong, lightweight, protective, and durable carrying solutions.
IB: Our lines of molded cases, Enduro and Enduro Pro, continue to be in demand, as well as our three bag lines – Tuxedo, Galaxy, and Drum Seeker – which are all distributed worldwide.
JP: Acoustic guitar bags and cases represent about 40 percent of our sales and also represent the largest percentage growth out of all the categories. If looking at bags vs. cases, bags are growing at a larger clip than cases. If looking at “good, better, best” price point movement, “better” is our top performer by a significant margin.
What features – materials, dimensions, functionality, et cetera – are in demand by end-users in 2022?
IB: Quality always shines in Humes & Berg products. That is what we are all about. We always use the best of materials available to make our products. We constantly upgrade and change our models to suit the marketplace. We are always in touch with professionals,
students, and educators throughout the world who help us improve our products constantly.
JP: A bag or case is worthless without great construction, padding, stitching and zippers. It can’t fall apart, no matter what the price point is. On bags, piping and hidden zippers seem to be the first thing that people grab onto and express how much they like the look and feel. We also put stowable backpack straps on just about any bag we make, and people seem to appreciate that. For cases, people are demanding something lightweight with ample storage compartments. “Hybrid” style cases that are mostly a heavy-duty gig bag with rigid interior protection seem to be taking over preference from traditional wood or molded cases.
RM: Our end-users demand value. We take that very seriously as our number-one priority in not just the features of our products, but the overall experience with us. Specific to our products, our mission has always been to provide high quality solutions at the best price and highest value. For over 20 years, our customers have depended on us to take care of them, protect their gear, solve their problems, so they can focus on what they love. That hasn’t changed.
TD: The trends related to materials and other specifications have been dictated by the consumers demand for the optimal blend of these identified features. Our R&D Team continually seeks out, and often develops, the forward-thinking solutions. Achieving the desirable, light weight requirements, while still delivering the total protection needed for our customers’ instruments definitely brings with it some challenges. As an integral part of our TKL Future Forward mission, we dedicate an extensive number of resources to scientific research, data collection, and solutions generation. The result will be products which truly reveal a revolutionary, optimized, form-follows-function mindset.
WS: We’re always working to find the most efficient ways for musicians to travel. As equipment gets smaller and more lightweight, we come up with the best options available. Carry-on sized cases are in demand as more musicians travel for fly dates and they want to cut down on checked luggage. Checked cases that are under 62 linear inches are in demand, as well, so that they don’t incur oversized fees.
What “best practices” have you observed dealers who are exceptionally successful at selling protective cases and bags adopting when it comes to display, promotions, outreach?
RM: Dealers who have figured out what products work the best in bundles and for specific applications seem to be the most successful. Our products are a perfect “add-on” opportunity, and showcasing the add-on’s with the primary gear or instrument has proven to be very effective for sales. Also, many dealers have taken a cue from Gator’s “Case Finder” website tool by making sure they educate their customers on what fits best with our cases and bags. End-users feel more confident in finding the perfect fit for their gear.
TD: Many of today’s successful dealers have identified that offering their customers real protection and real product value is a combination which helps build their stores’ brand credibility and equity, by building customers for life. They recognize that providing a great customer experience oftentimes means that they need to go beyond offering just a low-cost, minimally-protective case or bag.
Consumers that have invested in their dream guitar, or heirloom-quality instruments are looking for cases that can really protect their instrument, especially if they might want to pass it along to their children, friends, or their heirs. TKL has always made our cases for this customer, and we back this up with our 24/7 Protection® lifetime warranty. Dealers that help consumers get the right case for that special instrument are really benefiting,
WS: The resellers with excellent customer service, follow up, and healthy stock tend to be the most successful.
JP: It seems obvious, but stores that display and merchandise cases and bags with the same level of detail as the instruments seem to have the best sell-through. Musicians certainly buy bags and cases when buying a new instrument, but they absolutely buy them for an existing instrument, too. To keep them in storage as an afterthought to an instrument sale, in my opinion, is a mistake and missed sale opportunity. The best displays I’ve seen are typically homemade and are artfully crafted to fit their retail space.
IB: Our dealers that display Humes & Berg products outsell the ones that keep them in the back room as an afterthought.
Do you have any recently introduced or upcoming cases and/or bags you’d like to draw our readers’ attention to?
JP: I’m really digging on our 4990 deluxe bags and 7550 hybrid series. They’re at step-up price points that I see as replacements for traditional cases. I’d encourage folks to check them out at on-stage.com.
IB: Thank you for asking. We have recently introduced a musician’s backpack. This is no ordinary backpack – this is designed with the musician in mind. It has to be seen to be appreciated. Also we have recently improved our companion bags on wheels (tilt & pull bags). The new trolly system is far superior to the last models. This represents what I was saying above about improving our products with each production run if feasible.
RM: Our ICON series of bags is doing fantastic. We really took our time and put a lot of thought into developing a new bag that functions like a case but has the ease of a bag and a lot of style. We continue to receive a lot of positive feedback on the ICONS, especially after they have seen these bags go through extreme tests. They are very impressed by the protection these bags have, and just recently at NAMM, we released new colored versions.
TD: We will introduce our newest ultra-protective bag collection, the Vectra® Stealth™ IPX™ series, this summer. This new product addresses the consumer priorities of great, comfortable, yet rugged, protection, while also being lightweight, and elevating the design principals and results up another notch. We will launch this on our new website, making this an exciting summer for TKL.
WS: An extremely popular case for us is our Studio Flyer which is offered as a 2U or 4U version. The 2U is carry-on sized for air travel. This case offers laptop storage on top with rack space below and is popular for playback rigs, portable live recording setups, MIDI rigs for drummers/keyboard players, and other audio control.
Predictions for this market category in the coming months?
RM: I think the market will stay healthy throughout the summer. People are excited to get out and are feeling more comfortable, so they can enjoy themselves. That means concerts, festivals, and parties, which is music to our ears. It’s been very difficult for our music community and we’re excited for them to return to what they love doing.
IB: Humes & Berg cases and bags are always a great profit-builder for our dealers and will continue to be for many years to come.
WS: We expect the market to stay strong as live performances continue to grow and people are traveling more.
JP: I don’t see any reason to believe that things will slow down. Instruments seem to be coming back into stock more and more as the year ticks on, so with those instrument sales, I think case and bag sales will organically grow, too. Even still, we’ve seen significant growth despite instrument shortages, so it’ll be interesting to see how high things can go.
TD: Certain segments of the market are already seeing a softening in demand, when compared with the levels seen during the pandemic, and I believe this trend will continue for a while, until a new equilibrium is reached – a new “normal,” where there is a more realistic, more stable balance between customer demand and supply.
We will continue to do our part to help our customers navigate through this uncertain environment, by focusing on being the customer-centric, understanding supplier that our dealers need. We prioritize long-term partnerships over short-term business volume, and know that we must always be there for our dealers and OEM partners, to help them manage and grow their businesses.
For the future, the “instrument as an investment/heirloom” market will likely have continued stability and growth potential, and will favor those dealers that have positioned themselves as the instrument protection experts, by providing the cases and bags which meet these needs.
