Originally founded as the Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company by Jesse Shwayder in 1910, Samsonite has proven to be a top name not only in luggage but in briefcases, sports bags and other carry on pieces as well. Shwayder’s first case was named the “Samson” because of his religious beliefs and his desire to imply the strength of the bag. The name Samsonite would be trademarked in 1941. The company itself would be renamed to Samsonite in 1966. Although it was founded in Denver, Colorado, the offices of the Samsonite company are now headquartered in Luxembourg.

The company has fallen on some rough times over the years. In 2005, a former executive of luxury designer Luis Vuitton was brought in to help shake things back up. Four years later, the company was still having very public financial problems including possible bankruptcy. Things have turned around for Samsonite now, and the company has announced new plans to start selling their luggage to emerging markets around the world including $50 bags that will be marketed to the people of India.

Samsonite’s Brands

Samsonite sells more than just their own branded pieces of luggage. There are quite a few brands that are sold through the company. American Tourister, a popular brand of luggage in its own right, was acquired by Samsonite in 1993. In addition, the company sells the Lacoste brand bags and small leather goods from Timberland bags and Hartmann Luggage.

What Samsonite Sells

Of course the main thing that you will find is luggage, but did you know that there is a very wide range of sizes of the most popular styles of Samsonite luggage? In addition, the store carries other bags that are meant for every kind of lifestyle, whether it is business or the active life. Little bags for toiletries, bags for laptop computers, stylish messenger bags and even duffle bags are all sold in various sizes, styles, colors and price ranges. Samsonite also sells accessories including name tags for your luggage, racks to help you carry it and more. Some stores also offer repair services so that you can have your favorite piece restored to perfect working condition.

Some of the Top Sellers for Samsonite

Here is just a small sample of the top selling items sold by Samsonite.

Hyperspace Spinner Carry on Luggage in 21.5 inch, 26 inch and 30.5 inch sizes. All three sizes come in either galaxy black or hyper blue colors and have extendable handles and wheels for easy transporting.
The Lift Spinner Luggage in the 29 inch size has many of the same features as the one described above. This piece comes in three color choices: black, bluish-purple and charcoal.

Other items that sell well:

The Hardside Spinners
Cosmolite
Silhouette Sphere
Firelite
Gravtec
Inova
Carbon DLX
Cruisair Bold
Winfield 2 Fashion

Where to Find Samsonite Luggage Pieces

Samsonite is sold in a number of locations. Obviously you would find the widest range of styles, sizes and colors at a Samsonite store, but there are other places to find this luggage as well. Stores including JC Penney, Macys, Kohls and Target carry a number of items. Samsonite luggage is also found on Amazon as well. There are Samsonite stores all over the world.

Samsonite Outlet Stores, Factory Stores and Repair Centers

To save money, some people prefer to buy their Samsonite luggage from outlet or factory direct stores. Buying pieces from repair centers is an often overlooked option that many people did not know existed. Pieces that are brought in for repair and then never picked up are often sold after being kept for a set amount of time. The center cannot hold an item indefinitely because of the limited amount of space that is available, so they will sell items as they become available. Sometimes the sales only happen a few times a year. Sometimes the sales happen more frequently; it just depends on what they have to work with. Obviously there would be no way of predicting what items these sales would have to offer, and they are not always advertised at all. It might be worth it to ask if you live near a repair center- not all of them do this.

There are nearly 100 outlet and factory stores in the United States alone. Not all of them carry all product lines, so if you are looking for a specific piece you might want to call and see if they have it. Some of these stores are individual stores, while others are part of larger, outlet malls where you can shop for all of your needs in one place while saving major money in the process. There are 14 Samsonite outlet stores in the state of Florida and 12 in California. Other states may only have a few of these stores. Tiny Rhode Island has one in Warren, and there is a Samsonite outlet store in the Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall in Sunrise, Florida.