Trend Watch: Backpacks in the Boardroom

There’s a serious style shift happening in the corporate world. Execs at every level of the ladder are adopting backpacks as their daily go-to bag. While briefcases and messenger bags haven’t been abandoned, the backpacks are gaining ground fast.

According to NPD, Inc., a market research firm that tracks retail trends, sales of adult men’s backpacks have grown steadily in the past two years. Between August 2016 and August 2017, sales of that segment increased 5% to $864 million. Adult men’s backpacks now represent 48% of the entire U.S. backpack market.

So why the changing tastes? The answer appears to be twofold:

1. More refined and sophisticated options.

“Men’s backpacks have gotten more executive,” explained NPD analyst Michael Cohen in a recent Wall Street Journal interview. Across the board, labels and designers are creating fashionable and backpacks in in upscale materials like leather, or a mix of fabrication.

Cutter & Buck Bainbridge Computer Backpack High Sierra UBT Deluxe Backpack

2. Backpacks are built for real life.

Whether you’re an executive or an intern, a backpack has the storage capacity for an entire day – no matter how packed your schedule is. It will hold your laptop, workout clothes and a water bottle as you go from office to the gym. As Roopal Patel, senior VP at Saks points out, “A backpack better targets a modern man’s needs.”

Kenneth Cole Square Backpack elleven Modular 15″ Computer Backpack

The Bottom Line

The backpack is evolving and as it becomes a go-to bag in corporate settings, it also becomes a great vehicle for delivering brand impressions. But remember, no matter what brand personality you’re working with, from corporate to casual, there’s a backpack that’s just right for you.