Q&A: TUMI's Adam Hershman on the success of the TUMI Virtual Store

Amid the challenges of the pandemic and changing social distancing rules from one wave to the next, retailers have faced an uphill battle to bring customers in-store. Luxury travel and lifestyle brand TUMI sought to circumvent these challenges with an out-of-the-box creative approach, launching the TUMI Virtual Store earlier this year.

With more and more consumers looking to online and mobile for their shopping needs, the store offers customers the chance to experience a virtual TUMI brick-and-mortar, enabling them to get information on and see 3D versions of products that they can even bring into the real world through AR technology. Customers can also chat directly with TUMI representatives for more information and finalising purchases to bring the full customer service experience of an actual store. Hey, there's even a virtual selfie mirror.

To get more information on the TUMI Virtual Store, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out to Adam Hershman, vice president of TUMI Asia Pacific and Middle East to get his thoughts on how it all came together, and what the future holds.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Tell me a little bit about the concept behind the virtual store and how the idea came together?

Adam Hershman: The TUMI Virtual Store is a good example of how we are continuously moving forward as a brand, pushing boundaries and finding new ways to connect with our community. Over the past few years we have been expanding our digital footprint and working to improve connectivity between our digital and physical spaces – our O2O (online-to-offline but also offline-to-online) capability. Our goal is to be everywhere our customer is and to provide the best level of service through every one of those touchpoints. The TUMI Virtual Store was a natural step in this evolution – a way for us to bridge the gap between experiential physical experiences and the current e-commerce approach. The arrival of the pandemic simply accelerated our plans as it became clear that our customers would be spending much more time interacting with us in the digital realm.

When we were developing the Virtual Store we wanted to create an environment that is as close as possible to the physical store experience and then enhance it with digital technologies. We wanted to have the best of TUMI in people’s pockets. The Virtual Store employs the familiar visual browsing interface for products with technologies such as 360-degree 3D for viewing the bags from all angles. We also use AR technology to allow customers to experience products more viscerally, enabling them to ‘place’ the bags in their own environments. One of the challenges of e-commerce is understanding the actual size of bags and this function takes care of that.

In order to enhance the customer service within the Virtual Store we added the chat-and-shop function which allows visitors to connect to a TUMI sales associate and ask questions or to finalise their purchase.

We also wanted to add an element of fun and interactivity to the TUMI Virtual Store so we built a Magic Mirror interface where you are able to take a video selfie in the store itself and share it with friends. Finally, we created an Instagram-based adventure game where customers can race through a city or jungle landscapes, avoiding obstacles and collecting TUMI’s latest bags.

Something that I love about the Virtual Store format is that we can keep moving forward and evolving it, improving the customer experience as new technologies and creative solutions become available.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: How has the reception been among fans of the brand? Have you seen a lot of new user acquisition?

To launch the TUMI Virtual Store, we held regional livestream events for the media, our customers and the public inside the store itself. Victor Sanz, TUMI’s Creative Director joined us from New York and talked about the inspiration behind the Spring 2021 collection. We presented the collection via a fashion show, and I took viewers through the Virtual Store itself and dug a little deeper into key products from the collection. The Virtual Store has been really well received so far, starting with the launch events which were really well received. Since then, the engagement has been above our expectations – especially with the virtual game. We also noticed that visitors who experienced the Virtual Store were more likely to go on and purchase products, which is exciting!

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What was the inspiration behind the “Perfecting the Journey” game?

The essence of TUMI is that we are always moving forward and evolving so it made sense to create a game where the character is on the move, interacting with our products. The landscapes we chose – city and the jungle – were inspired by our Spring 2021 collections Tahoe and Alpha Bravo, respectively. Our Tahoe collection is very much inspired by modern, urban architecture and pared-down designs with hidden functionality. The Alpha Bravo Capsule inherits its outdoor looks from our iconic Alpha Bravo collection and comes in a “Spruce” green color, inspiring the jungle scenery. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: We’ve seen brands transforming digitally for a while now, especially in APAC - how much did COVID-19 accelerate campaigns like this internally?

As the pandemic set in, it became clear that our customers will be spending a lot more time online. We had to quickly re-examine how their lives have changed and react to this new behavior shift and changing circumstances. Our digital footprint expansion was already well on its way and the pandemic just accelerated our plans for the introduction of the TUMI Virtual Store – both for the purpose of improving the customer experience but also to host our media friends when presenting upcoming collections. We were excited to be able to launch Virtual Store via our Spring 2021 Collection presentation in early February and introduce this exciting new way to experience the TUMI brand.

I want to give all the credit to the many terrific people we have working at TUMI globally that make it possible for us to continuously evolve. They make the brand what it is today and are relentlessly focused on being creative, agile and in touch with our customers.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE:  What trends have you seen in your time in APAC that you’re keeping an eye on?

I am really excited about the increased focus on environmental considerations in the region. Customers are now demanding environmental accountability from brands and are supporting products that are more sustainable. This is great for us at TUMI as sustainability has been a huge focus and we have been expanding our efforts in this domain every year. TUMI bags are built to last and built to repair – we design products that don’t need to be replaced and don’t end up in the landfill after a few uses. Our quality and durability standards are paramount and the support of our global repair network means that TUMI bags stay on the road longer. We are also developing new materials and production processes that are more sustainable and yet adhere to our rigorous testing standards. This season we are expanding our sustainability products across a number of collections such as the Merge, Devoe, Alpha Bravo and even V4 hardside luggage. Look out for the Spring 2021 signature Navy Camo print appearing across a few collections that is made from post-industrial recycled materials.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Any must-packs on your list when you travel?

Lately I’ve been really getting into gaming. It’s a nice way to switch off your brain – almost like a daily meditation practice. A must-have on the road has been a battery pack to charge my console and other electronics on the go.

In terms of packing, I am a huge believer in packing cubes. They keep you organized but also force you to be efficient with your packing and only take things you need.

My favourite bag combination right now is the 19 Degree Polycarbonate carry-on and the Tahoe Jamerson backpack. The 19 Degree Polycarbonate range is super light, looks great and the carry-on has a handy expansion zipper that gives you 5cm of extra space, in case you overdo your shopping while away. It also has a built-in USB port for charging my electronic devices which means that I can work – or play games – on the go for longer. The Jamerson backpack has a very clean and modern silhouette that hides this incredible functionality that one would expect from TUMI. It is actually a very large backpack with a wide top entry, which makes it super easy to get all your things in and out. The X-shaped webbing on the front hides some functional pockets including a handy key fisher. The bag also has a waterproof rain cover that protects it and tucks away when not in use.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE:  Where’s the first place you want to travel when things start looking halfway normal again?

I am really looking forward to reconnecting with my family and colleagues abroad, once it is safe to travel again. First port of call will be the United States for a family holiday and to reunite with our loved ones. In terms of business travel, it has been a while since I saw some of our colleagues in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions so that will be a priority. I am also looking forward to catching up with Victor Sanz and my friends at the TUMI HQ in New York City to discover all the great new things they have been working on.

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