Exclusive: How Calpak developed its first kids’ collection of backpacks and lunch bags

Calpak’s kids’ collection embodies how the brand is thinking about its core customer, Calpak’s vp of marketing, Jeannie Shin, told Modern Retail. Calpak’s primary demo is 25-35 years old — but these shoppers aren’t just buying for themselves. “This is someone who has purchasing power for their family, their partners and their parents,” Shin said. Many of Calpak’s customers are now having children, giving the brand a “baked-in audience,” when it comes to kids’ products, Shin said.

In fact, the success of Calpak’s baby gear — one of its top new category launches last year — gave Calpak the green light to fully embrace kids’ gear, Shin said. Demand for kids’ products has been so high that a week-long waitlist for the launch garnered 10,000 sign-ups. It’s a reaction that Calpak has seen before. When launching baby, “we were a little hesitant, to be honest,” Shin said. “Was there enough of an audience group? Three months later, we had a ton of success. With kids, we anticipate the same thing.”

It’s a move that makes sense, said Chris Berg, vp of client strategy and services at the marketing agency January Digital. “Loyalty is huge in the travel market,” Berg explained, and “now [Calpak] can confidently say, “We’ve got your whole family covered.” He added that getting families on board early “can lead to repeat business for years as children grow and their needs evolve.”

To find out what families wanted in the new products, Calpak conducted research with kids ages two to 10, as well as with their parents. Calpak ended up designing backpacks that were roomy, comfortable and distributed weight well; had security features (like reflective straps for nighttime, a pocket for an AirTag and internal-facing name tags); and were customizable through the use of the plush charms.

The backpacks, lunch bags and pencil cases can fasten to each other, and the backpacks have an open slot that allows them to go over the handle of a carry-on suitcase. The lunch bags have internal and external pockets and an antimicrobial lining, and they can be worn cross-body, as well as carried.

Calpak first teased its kids’ products to its rewards members — known as “Very Important Travelers” — and is launching a marketing campaign this month across social media channels like Instagram and TikTok. In July, Calpak will hold a kids-focused event at its Los Angeles store; partners will include Jennifer Garner’s food company, Once Upon a Farm.

Later in the year, Calpak will have “a more expanded launch strategy” across other channels, Shin said. “The best way [for us to market this] is to launch it with our demo, see their reaction and then go bigger,” Shin said.

When it comes to marketing, Berg believes audience targeting is key for Calpak. “The message should primarily speak to parents, but with enough playfulness to appeal to kids, too,” he said. What can help convert more customers is communicating how Calpak is solving “real parent needs,” Berg said. Imagery like kids on their first day of school “will spark emotional interest,” he said, “but it’s the practical features — like antimicrobial linings and AirTag pockets — that will drive conversion.”

As Calpak enters the kids’ space, it is up against market saturation. “Brands like JanSport and Pottery Barn Kids have dominated this space for years, and it will take investment — both in awareness and messaging — to break through and gain share,” Berg said.

There’s also the issue of consumer sentiment. As it stands, the market for back-to-school dollars is tight, and many families are already cutting back on discretionary purchases. New data from Wunderkind found that nearly a third of U.S. consumers (29%) expect to spend less this back-to-school season. In this environment, deals are key; Amazon, for instance, is banking on its extended Prime Day to woo parents looking for products at a discount. At Calpak, customers buying kids’ products can receive a free two-pack of lunch bag ice packs (a $7 value). Shoppers can also save some 30% when they buy a bundle of a backpack, a lunch bag, a pencil case and a “pluffy.”

As the school year goes on, Calpak aims to release more colors of the lunch bags and backpacks. It’s also looking to roll out versions of the “pluffies” that are seasonal or have licensed characters on them.

However, kids aren’t the only ones interested in the “pluffies;” adults are, as well. “The feedback we’ve gotten is that our general audience wants them, too,” Shin said. “And even though we made them specifically alongside this collection, there’s no reason they can’t be used on other products.” In fact, moving forward, Calpak is adding key rings and bag-charm rings to all of its new products so anyone can sport their own “pluffies.”