For American luggage retailer Samsonite, sustainability is more than the products that they develop and produce. From your first step through the store’s facade—made of recycled aluminium, by the way—and right into the actual retail space, Samsonite’s new Suntec City locale is a proud declaration of its commitment to its sustainability goals.
At the newly unveiled store, fixtures that are oftentimes overlooked are scrutinised and purposefully drawn up. The cashier counter is fashioned from flakes of plastic waste, shelves are crafted from recycled plastic and even the Balau wood sculptures that adorn the space are made from repurposed materials. You’ll be happy to know that each plank of wood has been given a second lease of life, after having spent more than 30 years at the shipyards of Tuas in Singapore.
In the spirit of circularity, visitors at any Samsonite store can trade in old pieces of luggage—no matter the brand, condition or size—from 14 March to 28 April 2024. In return, you can get 30% off Samsonite’s Myton and Magnum Eco™ collections. Luggage from the Magnum Eco™ collection are made from recycled yoghurt cups and PET bottles for the shells and interior lining, respectively, so you can take your personal sustainability endeavours to the next level.
For each trade-in, Samsonite will support WWF-Singapore’s Earth Hour campaign efforts with a $10 donation. And if you’re wondering what will happen to your donated luggage, Samsonite will later recycle the materials to create eco travel memorabilia. As a symbol of the brand’s commitment to the cause, all Samsonite stores across the island will also switch off all non-essential lights from 8:30pm to 9:30pm in tandem with the Earth Hour Switch Off on 23 March this year.
With social responsibility becoming a greater priority for both consumers and retailers, Samsonite’s new store comes as a reinstatement of its 2020 global sustainability strategy, dubbed “Our Responsible Journey”. The approach aims to target and improve on its own practices and processes through three key pillars—Product, Planet and People. “We are not just creating luggage, we aim to shape the industry to be more sustainable, one journey at a time,” says Mr Satish Peerubandi, Vice-President of Samsonite SEA.
Where: 3 Temasek Blvd, #01-476 / 482, Singapore 038983
Operation Hours: 11:00am – 9:00pm