Luggage storage networks allow travellers to buy a room for their bag

The latest player in the share economy is luggage storage, and you’ll be surprised at how well it’s doing. Find out where you can store your stuff here.

Australia is the new target for an unexpected, multimillion-dollar industry doing for your suitcases what Uber did to the taxi industry and what Airbnb did for hotels.

Cashed-up luggage storage networks are rolling out across Australian cities and tourist sites, recruiting local businesses amid predictions the market will triple in the next year.

And for travellers, the trend is opening a hidden network of convenience stores, coffee shops, dry cleaners — even acupuncture clinics — to stash your valuables while you’re in between accommodation and flights.

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LuggageHero is one of several bag-storing companies changing life for travellers in transit. Picture: Supplied

Companies offering the new services, including Bagbnb, Nannybag, and Stasher, are actively approaching a host of Australian companies to get them to join their networks.

They use their shops’ store rooms, event halls, and warehouses to safely keep travellers bags.

The services typically charge travellers by the day or by the hour, and some offer security tags and insurance to cover loss or damage.

Travellers book their bags into accommodation using an app.

Bagbnb chief executive officer Alessandro Seina told News Corp Australia how the bag-stashing industry was on track to triple this year as more travellers sought to free themselves of baggage and fit more into their trips.

At least half of the service’s customers were customers of “Airbnb or rental apartments,” he said, who were left with nowhere to store bulky items while waiting for their accommodation. Other users included day-trippers, business people, and tourists staying at budget hotels without storage facilities.

And Mr Seina said the company was proactively expanding its network in Australia to allow more tourists to hit beaches in transit.

“Since the beginning, we understood the high potential in the Australian market,” he said.

“We know a lot of people are looking for a luggage storage place in Australia, not only at the train station but also close to the city centre or the beach too.”

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LuggageHero is one of several bag-storing companies changing life for travellers in transit. Picture: Supplied

Fitness equipment store Fitbiz, located in central Sydney, has become one unexpected target for the international bag storage networks, with owner Janelle Chambers revealing she had fielded inquiries from two firms so far.

“The first company approached us because we were in a prominent position in the city where there were a lot of tourists and we’ve just had another service approach us as well,” she said.

“We’re finding it very popular. Around school holidays we get more visitors. It’s nice meeting travellers and giving them some tips on where they can go.”

The service not only provided the store with extra revenue, she said, but many customers also purchased items while visiting.

Nomads World in Brisbane city was also approached to become a luggage host, and spokeswoman Alison Boyd said it was bringing a new audience to the hostel.

“We only started offering the service in November but it’s been steadily growing since then,” she said. “We get more older people than we would usually see who find us via the app.”

Human-centred technologist Dr Kate Raynes-Goldie said bag-storage networks were another innovative addition to the “experience economy” where users only purchased the services they needed.

In this case, she said, travellers were simply buying storage rather than extending a hotel stay.

“This another example of breaking down the different services we buy now and redistributing them,” she said.

“If you’re travelling in the experience economy, you often don’t have the full services of a hotel.”

Like other services in the sharing economy, users can rate each storage location. Travellers should also check the app’s fine print as many warn not to stash jewellery or medicine in their bags.

SUITCASE-STASHING ECONOMY

Bagbnb: The biggest operator in Australia, BagBNB is available in 40 countries and its “Angel” locations store suitcases for $8 per day, with insurance of $500 per item.

Stasher: Available in 100 cities, including Sydney, this firm charges $8 to store a bag for the day, and offers $1200 in insurance.

LuggageHero: Storage locations for this company, in the US and Europe, secure bags with security tags and insure them against loss or damage up to $4000.

Knock Knock City: Storing bags at its American and Canadian locations costs $1 per item, up to $10 per day, with a $2 “handling” fee. Bags are covered by $2000 insurance.

Nannybag: Now available in Sydney and Melbourne, this group charges $10 to storage a suitcase for one day, and $7 for subsequent days. It includes up to $2400 in insurance.

Vertoe: This US-based newcomer offers security seals, verified locations, $7000 insurance, and bag storage for about $8 a day.