Dive Brief:

• Luggage and handbags e-retailer eBags Inc. has named Mike Edwards present and CEO, replacing interim CEO and president Rob Cassidy, who is also COO.

• Edwards hails from Staples, where he was recently global merchandising executive, and was also president of bookseller Borders and CEO of women’s activewear retailer Lucy’s.

• Edwards has also been named to the eBags board and has reportedly invested in the company, according to the Denver Business Journal.

Dive Insight:

eBags is one of the survivors of the original dot-com boom of the late 20th century. Founded by former employees of luggage companies like Samsonite, the company sought to disrupt luggage retail. The e-retailer managed to survive the dot-com bust and the hit that travel took after 9/11 by diversifying its merchandise beyond luggage, adding to its own branded product lines, keeping its e-commerce operations up to date, and earning props for excellent customer service. 

The company is poised for another shot in the arm, though, something that a change in leadership could bring.

The company is working to ramping up its omnichannel interactions, with synchronized shopping carts on all devices and sharable shopping lists. Reminiscent of eBags old "easy and fun" tagline, Edwards also posted a message on the website saying: "We want shopping eBags to be easy, fun and helpful for you, no matter where or when you are shopping."