Platforms That Give Travelers’ Luggage Local Sanctuary

To help travelers and locals navigate cities without needing to lug around their bags, digital platforms are connecting consumers with businesses for luggage and bag storage. One example is Bounce, which offers luggage storage in local hotels and shops. CEO Cody Candee started the company when he realized that people spend a lot of time planning their days and lives around the items they own. Travelers who land in the city, for instance, might wonder what to do with their belongings.

With Bounce’s service, users can find a place to leave their belongings in a city in places ranging from “hotels to coffee shops to dry cleaners,” Candee told PYMNTS in an interview. They can book instantly or in advance through an iPhone, Android or web app. Users then arrive at a location and hand over their bags, which are tagged and put into storage.

The company uses Stripe for payments and accepts credit cards as well as debit cards. It plans to soon launch Apple Pay and possibly Google Pay in the future.

Candee said the company aims to make bag storage as “seamless as possible” for travelers. Store owners, or those who have a storefront, can turn on the platform to attract new high-value travelers or local customers, earning revenue from every bag they store.

The company is available in locations like New York, San Francisco and Chicago, Bounce’s three biggest markets. However, Bounce is also popping up in other areas of the country, such as Boston, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. Candee said a good market for the company is any city where a sizable portion of the population doesn’t rely on cars.

Bounce has a wide array of businesses on its platforms, including hotels and shipping stores, as well as a magic shop and bike shops.

The Storage Market

Candee pointed out that Bounce was the first company – and maybe the only company – to be available on web, iOS and Android. It’s easy to make a website, after all, but it takes a little more effort to build a full technology platform.

And Candee noted that luggage storage is just the tip of the iceberg for the firm, as it also aims to create a big tech platform. “There’s a lot that can be built on top of what we’re doing,” he said.

Similar to Bounce, Vertoe lets consumers search for locations that will take their bags and can make payments online through technology powered by Stripe. Stores on the platform range from gift shops to small coffee shops. The idea for the company came when its founder stayed at an Airbnb, which didn’t have a front desk that could help with bag storage.

Another player in the market, storage platform LuggageHero, has local cafes, coffee shops, bike rental shops and restaurants participating in its platform, in addition to hotels and hostels. “They have a reception,” LuggageHero Founder and CEO Jannik Lawaetz told PYMNTS in a previous interview of the latter two establishments. “They have people standing there all day.” He added that they want to drive more foot traffic and start a new revenue stream at the same time.

From LuggageHero to Vertoe and Bounce, digital innovators are aiming to connect consumers looking for a place to store belongings with businesses that can take in extra revenue and possibly gain new customers in the digital age.