A Quick Guide to Buying Leather Products
An important segment in the leather industry is the leather goods and accessories industry. This category includes establishments engaged primarily in processing hides and leather derivatives, tanning, bleaching, converting and finishing hides, leather and similar products manufactured out of other substances and leather products, leather and similar goods made from other materials, leather products for general use, leather goods for fashion and cosmetic industries, leather goods for the automobile industry and leather goods for packaging industry. Apart from this, there are also small leather conditioning, finishing and cleaning businesses.
The leather goods market includes leather goods that have been produced using different techniques, including dyeing, shearing, lacing, perforating and embossing, as well as products that are hand crafted or “hand-made.” The leather goods market also includes leather goods for automotive, sporting goods, boat and shipbuilding, medical, nutritional and cosmetic, jewelry, electrical, mechanical, warehousing, transportation and storage, packaging, personal and home care and some other specialised product categories. The leather goods market is highly diversified and includes a wide range of leather products like shoes, purses, bags, wallets, slippers, boots, gloves, belts, eyewear, footwear, coats and neckties, jewelry, leather handbags, wallets, chains, stoles, belts, toys, electronic equipment, some children’s toys, sports equipment and instruments, some baby goods and kids’ apparel. There is also a significant leather goods manufacturing sector in India.
Consumers of leather goods depend on a number of sources for buying leather products. A large number of retail outlets, as well as some wholesalers and manufacturers stock leather goods in the market. Online leather products websites are an excellent option to source leather products, with their extensive collection and selection of styles and designs. Most of the online leather industry websites also offer catalogue downloads, which allow customers to download factsheets and brochures about the products. Leather catalogues and download factsheets enable buyers to compare and contrast different products, specifications and prices.