Are Kiwis bagging a good deal with travel goods?

Key insights

• New PriceSpy data suggests popularity for travel-related goods and accessories is rising. But is now the best time to buy? According to PriceSpy’s pricing data, perhaps not:

• • The indexed price across the most-popular bags (including suitcases) has increased +5.29 per cent compared to the start of 2020*
  • The indexed price across most-popular camera bags has increased +6.67 per cent compared to the start of 2020*
  • The indexed price across most-popular DSLR cameras has increased +5.21 per cent compared to the start of 2020*

• But not all travel accessories are going up in price. PriceSpy’s research also found:

• • The indexed price across the most-popular sunglasses has dropped -5.28 per cent compared to the start of 2020*

 

With international borders opening up, new insights released from the fully impartial price and product comparison site, PriceSpy reveals popularity for many travel-related goods are on-the-up. 

 

The PriceSpy research found:

• Popularity for suitcases & bags is skyrocketing, increasing 51 per cent year-on-year**;
  • The most-popular suitcase brand shoppers are looking to buy is Samsonite, increasing significantly (up 75 per cent year-on-year)**;
• Popularity for laptop bags is also growing, up over a fifth (11 per cent) year-on-year**;

 

Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy, says: “After more than two years of international borders being closed and people not being able to travel overseas, our latest research suggests Kiwis are once again keen to explore the world - with many looking to buy travel-related goods and accessories, such as suitcases.”

 

But with inflation rates sitting at a thirty-year high in New Zealand and price points across many goods increasing as a result of the ongoing impacts caused by Covid-19, is now the best time to buy a new suitcase?  PriceSpy’s Price Index insights suggest perhaps not!

 

“Even though it’s great to see New Zealanders are looking to travel overseas and buy travel-related goods and accessories, we encourage shoppers to keep a close eye on how much they are paying, as our Price Index Indicator, a tool that monitors daily indexed price points across the most-popular products listed on our site, suggests price points across many travel-related shopping categories are in fact going up,” says Liisa.

 

Compared to the start of the year, the indexed price across the shopping category of bags , which includes suitcases, is rising - up +4.32 per cent. Similar hikes were also found across other travel-related shopping categories - the indexed price across the most-popular DSLR cameras rose +5.18 per cent and for camera bags it was +6.67 per cent.

 

 

Liisa continues: “Right now, price points across many consumer goods are rising, so now more than ever, it’s really important for shoppers to carry out important price research before they buy.”

 

But it’s not all bad news.  PriceSpy’s research did find not all travel-related goods were increasing in price!

 

 

 

Compared to the start of 2020 (before Covid-19 impacted supply chains in New Zealand), the indexed price for sunglasses was found to have dropped (at -6.68 per cent). And compared to the start of this year, it dropped-5.28 per cent.

 

Liisa concludes: “Our research did uncover some good news for consumers - the indexed price across the shopping category of sunglasses was bucking the trend and dropping, which is great news for those looking to book an overseas trip to somewhere bright and sunny.

 

“However, with prices points across many shopping categories rising, for anyone in need of some new travel accessories, we strongly encourage people to not panic buy. Instead, they should take their time and do some pricing due diligence first.

 

“As well as looking for the store that offers the best price, shoppers should also check out a product’s price history to see how much the item they are looking to buy has been sold for historically***.

 

 

“Free websites and apps, like PriceSpy offer this information to help shoppers make a more-informed purchase decision as to whether the price the item is being sold for today is actually worthwhile buying.”

 

*PriceSpy’s research compares the indexed price across the most-popular goods listed within each shopping category on 10 April 2022 vs the indexed price on 1 January 2022.

 

PriceSpy’s Price Index is a daily updated chain index that tracks price changes across all categories, brands and markets over time. Products are weighted by popularity, determined by the number of clicks-outs received and the number of stores offering the product. The index works much like a stock index, where daily price changes are used to calculate the accumulated index, and where company size corresponds to product popularity. Old products will gracefully disappear and new products enter the index. The index shows the relative price change of already existing products from the day before.

 

** PriceSpy’s popularity data is based on historical click numbers received

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