FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chicago, IL – January 6, 2016

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Po Campo Rolls Out New Line of Bike Bags to Wow Customers
Responding to market demands, Po Campo reinvents the category of city biking accessories – again

What does Po Campo do, after years of gaining market penetration with its stylishly functional bike bags? Starts over.

Po Campo is rolling out a whole new line of cutting-edge bicycle bags throughout 2016 that feature improved functionality, premium weatherproof and vegan fabrics, pockets sized to fit devices, an integrated power supply (some models), and shoulder straps to convert the bags to crossbody bags once off the bike.

“We were the first to market with bags specifically designed for city cyclists. Since then, we’ve learned a ton about this emerging consumer group and how she needs her bag to perform. We decided that it would be smarter to just design a better product from scratch rather than iterating on what we’ve done before,” says Maria Boustead, Po Campo’s Founder, Owner and Product Designer.

Po Campo Handlebar BagsKinga Handlebar Bag $40

 Po Campo Trunk BagUptown Trunk Bag $80

First out of the gate in March is the Po Campo Kinga Handlebar bag (MSRP $40) and Uptown Trunk Bag (MSRP $80). Both bags are available in three color choices: the handsome Black Herringbone, cheerful Sky Stripes, and the new on-trend geometric Mosaic print.

Looking further into the year, late spring and early summer will see Po Campo’s first bags with an integrated power supply, as well as the new take on the Bike Share Bag, the world’s first bag designed for bike share bike systems like Citibike in NYC, Divvy in Chicago, and Capital Bikeshare in D.C.

Ms. Boustead launched Po Campo in 2009 after not being able to find a bag that was both bike-compatible for her work commutes and comfortable enough to carry throughout the day. Foreseeing a surge in people biking as cities invested millions into bicycle infrastructure, Ms. Boustead anticipated a growing market for crossover products like hers that help people integrate biking into their daily lives.

Her intuition paid off: According to recent studies, city biking has grown an average of 62.4% nationwide over the last decade, with growth soaring past 200% in large cities like Chicago and Washington D.C. during the same period.

Moreover, Po Campo’s bet that the key to success was designing products that aesthetically and functionally appeal to women was also prescient: In a recent study, the number of females participating in bicycling rose 20% (while dropping 0.5% among males), and 32% of women list the “inability to carry stuff” as a barrier to bicycling more. With these statistics, it is no surprise that Po Campo has seen double-digit growth each year since its inception, and why they continue to pursue this market segment for their company’s growth.

“I know it’s a little gutsy to discontinue some of your bestselling products, but once we did our homework and had a better understanding of the market need, there was really only one clear path forward,” says Ms. Boustead, about her bold move.

High-resolution images available upon request. For more information, contact Natalie Breuer at press@pocampo.com or 844-PO-CAMPO x503.

ABOUT PO CAMPO

Po Campo makes bags that fit your life. What began as a desire by Chicago industrial designer Maria Boustead for stylish bike bags has grown into a full line of casual lifestyle bags designed to help you stay active and engaged in the world around you. Constructed of weatherproof, vegan fabrics and featuring practical details like reflective accents and intuitively placed pockets, Po Campo bags are built for experiencing the joys of city life – and looking good doing it.

Since May 2013, Po Campo has partnered with World Bicycle Relief, a Chicago nonprofit that provides bicycles to rural African communities, giving them access to healthcare, education and economic opportunities. To date, Po Campo has donated over 100 bikes. In 2014, Newcity magazine named Boustead one of Chicago’s top 50 designers. For more information, visit online at http://pocampo.com.

 

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