Leather Goods Industry Data

[Glendon]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of putting together a business plan to look at how viable a leather goods business idea I have is. I don't want to go crazy with numbers, but I would like to put in a basic snapshot of the industry. I know some people on this forum have already done business plans, so I was wondering if anyone could point me to some reports or data sources you found helpful?

The only one I have been able to get my hands on are some census records: http://www.census.gov/econ/industry/products/p316991.htm http://www.census.gov/econ/industry/def/d316999.htm Everything else I've seen are either historical sources from the early 1900s or whitepapers that companies are asking $100s or $1,000s for and are really designed more for large scale manufacturers.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

There is a magazine called Leathercrafters Journal IIRC that has industry news in it. Look in the for sale listings, as I have seen some listed.

A lot will depend on what info you are specifically looking for, and what you are making. Care to offer any more details, or do you want to keep them close to the vest at this time?

[Glendon]

Basically what I'd love is an estimate of the size of the luggage and bag industry in overall sales and some rough growth and loss trends. I do subscribe to the Leathercrafters and Saddlers Journal. I'll go back through a few issues and see what I can find.

If you're curious, what I'm working on is essentially an internship program for high school and college students interested in manufacturing or skilled trade work. I'm looking at two main product lines. One is a set of packs, bags, and pouches for people with disabilities. Leather sling bags (very helpful backpack design but they are always too small or cheaply made, good ones are hard to find), wheelchair backpacks, forearm crutch pouches. The other product line i intend to base off intern designs for basic leather goods, wallets, belts, notebook covers, and the like in small batch production. There are a lot of internship agencies that work in industries like computer science and technology like Year Up, but the U.S. could use a similar model for skilled labor. Long term, I figure if I can get it up and running with leather goods, it could work with woodworking and other high labor cost / low material cost manufacturing as well.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Glendon

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

There is a college in Michigan that sells heirloom type wood products. Mom used to get their catalogs. I believe that Oak was in the name, but don't hold me to that.

Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.prweb.com/releases/luggage_soft_hard/backpacks_business_bags/prweb4570874.htm

[Glendon]

Thanks for the effort. Unfortunately that's just an introduction to one of the expensive reports out there. I'll probobly have to hit the business library and try this the old fashioned way.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

looked like a lot of the basics are there. Close to $50,000,000,000 a yer, so even if you do just part of a percent, you can do good.