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The Handbag Industry In A Post Coronavirus Era

Handbags Coronavirus

Covid 19 has spread a pall of gloom across the world. Not much we can do at the moment but to comply with health advisories and keep the arsenal of our immune system ready in case the virus decides to come calling. So good luck on that front and stay calm!


In this post, I want to briefly touch upon the effects of the virus beyond the territories of health – specifically on the handbag industry. As is common knowledge, China and Italy, the worst hit countries of the pandemic, are also the manufacturing hubs of the global fashion industry.


The usually exuberant fashion shows in Milan wore a subdued look this February with models and spectators sporting the masks alike. Since then it has been a steady nosedive, resulting in Italy’s lock down. Also, Chinese consumers account for a sizeable chunk of the global luxury goods business. With the virus spiraling out of control in these regions, it has been a double whammy for the specialized small scale ateliers as fashion behemoths such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci have been steadily scaling back on orders. In fact, the orders seem to have come to nought in the month of March and possibly April. What compounds the problem is that the tourism industry is also reeling under the debilitating consequences of the virus. There have been requests to cancel orders already placed by customers or requests for steep discounts.


Needless to say, the cumulative effects of the above are still to pan out fully, spilling beyond the borders of these countries and would be hard hitting on the local industry in general and the small scale suppliers and manufacturers in particular. Diversification could be one of the solutions to cushion the impact of this global meltdown as could be encouraging virtual/online shopping.

Hope we’re able to contain the virus before it claims more victims and businesses. But till then let us donate and support in whatever capacity we can to help those rendered jobless. Also, hoping the post Covid-19 era brings in greater consciousness and lesser decadence in the fashion industry as a whole.

About the author

Vidya Gupta

Mother to three lovely boys and wife of a banking professional, I am extremely passionate about a host of topics, bags being one of them. For the record, the others are - makeup, travel, photography, in no particular order. Here I share my perspective on the Indian as well as the international bag-scene. As a youngster I would spend most of my money on bags and carry one according to my outfit. It is this love that I express through this blog. Needless to say, any suggestions for improvement, even healthy criticisms, are highly encouraged. Hope you enjoy your stay here and find something useful to help you on your next bag purchase!

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