Lug talks growth, brand community,
and the future of retail on CNN’s Fresh Money series
Lug, the popular lifestyle brand of travel bags, handbags, and accessories, is pleased to announce its feature on Fresh Money, an online CNN series that tells stories of innovators who are reinventing how we live. "The Lug company has created such a devoted online community around their accessories that women snap up new products as soon as they appear on the company's live app or QVC," said a blurb on CNN.com.
The piece interviews Jason and Ami Richter, founders of Lug. On a car drive from Dallas, Texas, to Toronto, Canada, Jason and Ami came up with the idea, name, and concept for Lug, which launched in August 2005. In addition to their origin story, the couple also talks about getting a call from Oprah's people for her famous "O List" and venturing into the world of QVC. "Our very first airing with QVC was on July 24, 2015," said Ami in the CNN interview. "When we went on air, the product sold out in two minutes," added Jason.
Today, Lug has 50+ employees spread across the U.S. and Canada and millions of products sold. "Now that we're a 15-year-old company, we've grown this to a size we probably didn't think was possible in the beginning," said Jason Richter. Despite the company's exponential growth, Lug has a very intentional people-driven culture that feels like family, which is depicted well in the Fresh Money piece.
Since the start, Lug has always pushed the envelope to get to the next level. "You don't just wait for things to come to you. You seek them," said Ami Richter. "So, we thought, what better way than to build our own social selling channel?" For Jason and Ami, launching LugLive has felt like going "back to startup mode" as they step into new territory and help define the future of retail. "Customers appreciate being able to be heard, and in this community, they have a say," said Jason. "I definitely think the future of retail is going to lead itself into more live commerce. The reactions that we get from our customers, the personalities they get to interact with, it all creates the opportunity where everyone can thrive together."