The Gare du Nord railway station in Paris is the busiest in Europe and the third largest and busiest in the world. It can handle some 700,000 passengers a day.

Just across from the station, in two separate locations, is Oneworld, a shop that sells phones and accessories, such as SIM cards. It also exchanges foreign currency.  

So you can imagine these shops, owned by Alam, are extremely popular with travelers. 

Alam first heard about LuggageHero in the summer of 2019 when it launched in Paris. He was one of the first shops in the city to sign up. It’s been full steam ahead ever since (pandemic period aside).

“My area is vital and prominent for tourists,” he said. “So I knew it would be a success.”

Many people come in groups, he said, often with more than one piece of luggage apiece. But Oneworld has plenty of room for storage and enough staff to manage the work.

Most customers leave their bags for a few hours, either before checking in to their rental or hotel or just after checking out. The location makes it convenient to pick up their bag and hop on the train, which might take them to their next destination or to the Charles de Gaulle airport.

Alam enjoys talking to customers and giving them travel advice.

“They come from all over the world,” he said. “We help travelers, and we’re able to increase our revenue.”