Sales of Apple’s AirTag and other item trackers are on the rise, as more people are returning to travel around the world. AirTags and trackers allow travelers to easily track their luggage, no matter where it eventually ends up.
Circana research shows that the sales of item trackers, including Apple’s AirTag, grew 63% in the US in January and February combined. Sales revenue for these products has increased by 82%.
“Despite economic headwinds facing consumers, spending on travel is expected to continue to pick-up in 2023 and 2024, presenting a unique opportunity for travel-adjacent technology products,” said Ben Arnold, executive director and industry analyst at Circana. “Categories like item trackers, on-the-ear headphones, and portable power packs that keep travelers connected, entertained, and powered-on while on the go have had positive growth in a challenging first quarter.”
“Spending on travel is expected to continue to pick-up in 2023 and 2024,” Arnold added.
Apple’s AirTag has been used for both good and evil since its debut. The United States Drug Enforcement Agency in 2022 used an AirTag to track illegal drug-making paraphernalia shipped from China to an illegal narcotics maker in the United States.
On the flip side, an Indianapolis man was murdered in June 2022 by being run over repeatedly by a vehicle allegedly driven by his girlfriend. The girlfriend, Gaylyn Morris, is said to have used an Apple AirTag to track her boyfriend, Andre Smith, to a bar where she saw him with another woman.
