Baton Rouge-based Pearson’s Travel World is getting back into business in Lafayette after about an eight-year absence, and is also expanding its footprint to Shreveport.
Jerry Pearson, company president, and his son, vice president Ned Pearson, have purchased the Kidd Russ Luggage & Gifts stores in Lafayette and Shreveport. The Pearsons took over the stores on Thursday.
The Lafayette store had until only a few months ago had operated as a Pearson’s Travel World store. Jerry Pearson opened the store in 1979—only about six months after founding the Baton Rouge store in the former Bon Marche Mall on Florida Boulevard—and sold it about eight years ago to his brother-in-law, David Niven.
The Pearsons purchased both Kidd Russ stores from Niven, who is getting out of the business, for an undisclosed price. The Lafayette store will be rebranded as Pearson’s Travel World Luggage & Gifts, while the Shreveport store—which dates back to more than 100 years—will continue operating under the Kidd Russ name for now.
“We’re discussing possibly changing the name, but I just hate to let 100 years of advertising and good will go to waste, so at this point we’re going to leave it as Kidd Russ,” says Jerry Pearson.
Neither of the recently acquired stores are as large as the roughly 9,000-square-foot Baton Rouge store at 7949 Jefferson Highway, which houses the luggage retail store, a full service travel agency and business offices. The Lafayette store is about 2,800 square feet and the Shreveport location about 2,400 square feet.
“It’s a natural move for us,” says Jerry Pearson. “They were already part of the same national trade association that we’re in, carrying basically the same inventory as us, though we’re a little more high end.”
—Steve Sanoski
