Ebags.com

Infobox_Company
company_name = eBags.com
company_
company_type = Private
company_slogan = What's your bag?
foundation = 1998
location = headquarters: flagicon|United States Greenwood Village, CO
europe: flagicon|United Kingdom Cambridge, United Kingdom
key_people = Jon Nordmark, CEO
Peter Cobb, VP GMM
Mark DeOrio, VP, CFO
Mike Frazzini, VP
industry = Retail
products = Luggage, Backpacks, Computer Cases, Shoes, Handbags
num_employees = 120+
homepage = [http://www.eBags.com www.eBags.com]

eBags.com, a division of eBags, Inc., is an American electronic commerce company founded in 1998. Based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, the company has a European office in Cambridge, UK. The primary purpose of eBags.com is to be an online retailer of handbags, backpacks, business cases, urban bags, luggage, and travel accessories. eBags.com represents more than 650 brands. In addition, eBags Inc. operates e-commerce websites for such partners as Tumi.com and CaseLogic.com.

= History = The website launched on March 1, 1999 with seven brands including Samsonite, JanSport, and Skyway Luggage. The focus was primarily on luggage due to the backgrounds of the founders.

While eBags' growth rate (CAGR) was 42% from the summer of 1999 through summer 2005, three events caused eBags cash to dip below USD$700,000. Those events were:
* The "dot bomb" of 2000
* The following recession of 2001
* The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001
. But, after seeing little change in product demand from test markets, the traditional advertising efforts were tabledAfter experiencing very rapid growth, September 11, specifically, caused eBags' luggage sales to slow to 2% growth for the next six months. During the 18 months following 9/11, more than 500 competing brick & mortar luggage specialty stores—most importantly, those operated by Bentleys and El Portal—closed. Another 200 closed in Germany. To recharge the growth, eBags diversified more into handbags and purses, business cases, sport bags and backpacks. This allowed the company to rely on more daily use brands like Kathy Van Zeeland, Tignanello, Perlina, Stone Mountain and Eastpak. From the beginning, eBags drop-shipped most products direct from manufacturers to consumers. This reduced the company's inventory risk, which could have been substantial as sales slowed after the dot-bomb.

Over the years, eBags expanded its brand representation to more than 600 total, in the United States and in Europe. Part of the most recent expansion has been the focus on "on-the-streets" or boutique handbag designers. eBags features about 300 handbag designers, from popular ones like Kate Spade, Cole Haan and Rafe to trendy boutique designers like Babee D, Maruca and Linea Pelle.

= Timeline =
* December 1998 = Convertible bridge loan from angel investors
* March 1999 = eBags.com launch flagicon|United States
* April 1999 = $8 million raised from Benchmark Capital and angel investors
* October 1999 = $22 million raised from Technology Crossover Ventures, Amerindo and previous investors
* October 2002 = Began operating Tumi.com
* March 2004 = Purchased Shoedini.com from Saxon Shoes in Richmond, VA
* October 2004 = Launched eBags.co.uk flagicon|United Kingdom
* November 2005 = Changed Shoedini to 6PM.com, matching bags with shoes
* July 2005 = Launched CaseLogic.com
* October 2005 = Launched Tumi UK
* July 2006 = Launched Tumi Germany flagicon|Germany
* August 2006 = Started Tumi Japan flagicon|Japan
* October 2007 = Sold 6PM to Zappos
* May 2008 = Passed $100 million in annual gross orders

Founders

Five people founded eBags in the late spring of 1998. Four of them worked for Samsonite prior to starting eBags. Collectively, they—Jon Nordmark, Peter Cobb, Frank Steed and Andy Youngs—worked more than 50 years at Samsonite, which was headquartered in Denver from 1910 through 1997. Eliot Cobb worked as VP of finance at Music Warehouse.

For Samsonite, Jon Nordmark lead development of luggage, duffel and backpack products while managing about 20 different distribution channels in North America. In 1997-8, he performed similar duties for Samsonite South America. Nordmark helped build hardside and softside products in Asia, Europe and the U.S.

During his six years at Samsonite, Peter Cobb lead USA marketing for both Samsonite and American Tourister. This included marketing communications activities—often created in partnership with Chicago-based ad agency Leo Burnett—and new product development. Before that, Cobb developed golf bags for a Ben Hogan licensing company.

Frank Steed was president of both Samsonite and American Tourister, USA. He served as Chairman of eBags, Inc. until the summer of 2001.

The final founder to join eBags from Samsonite was Andy Youngs. At Samsonite he served in both marketing and sales capacities.

Nordmark and Peter Cobb continue to work for eBags. Steed and Youngs left eBags during the downturn of the dot coms in the summer of 2001. Steed became president of a travel accessories company based in New York. Youngs joined Case Logic—a company that produces storage cases like PDA cases, iPod cases and CD cases—as their Vice President of Marketing.

Websites

The following websites are owned and operated by eBags, Inc.

* eBags.com
* eBags.co.uk
* eBags.de
* eBagsCorporate.com

References

External links

* [http://www.ebags.com Official eBags website]
* [http://www.ebags.co.uk Official eBags United Kingdom website]

Articles

* [http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2002/tc20020717_9810.htm "eBags Carries It Off"] from "BusinessWeek"
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/06/technology/06ecom.html?ex=1299301200&en=75cefa324352c83e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss "Your Personal Shopper With the Initials R.S.S."] from the "New York Times"