Famed for its innovative and memorable scents and the creator of Britain’s first luxury fine liquid hand wash, Molton Brown has over 60 own brand stores plus numerous official stockists across the globe. For many, the first experience of Molton Brown is via the multiple luxury hotels and cruise ships the company works with in more than 65 countries.
Over the past 13 years the company has also built a thriving travel retail business in UK and European airports, seeing development of this channel as a vital element within its global business strategy. Says Tim Pluess Associate Director, Export Sales Molton Brown:
“Travel retail is a wonderful opportunity to introduce the brand to the discerning shopper, provide them a great experience and a scent memory. No other channel has such a strong shopper profile, and a beauty category crying out for a brand with our heritage which includes travel. Show casing these points in the right way clearly drives awareness and a halo to domestic and international markets.”
Positioned as “a discerning destination of fine fragrance blends, perfect for body, bath & home” Molton Brown has a loyal customer base. Equally, Molton Brown has built a reputation as the perfect luxury gift, making it ideal for travel retail and creating a point of difference over others in the market place.
Molton Brown’s ever-increasing product range provides massive opportunities for incremental sales in travel retail, says the company. “The breadth of our offer enables retailers to enjoy additional sales rather than cannibalizing on existing business with other beauty brands,” explains Pluess. “This not only increases average basket size but builds sales of the category as a whole.”
With travel retail sales figures for the first two quarters of 2016 showing double digit growth, Molton Brown is now gearing up to take its inherently British brand - the company holds a Royal Arms for the supply of toiletries to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – to travel retail markets worldwide. Pluess continues: “Travel is very much part of Molton Brown’s DNA, so it’s fitting that travel retail should play a vital role in expansion of the brand. We see travel retail as a global shop window; one that enables us to introduce Molton Brown’s unique blends and luxurious products to travellers from all over the world.”
Molton Brown’s link with travel is not just sales patter. Molton Brown travels the world, curating the rarest and best ingredients to match the finest English craftsmanship. Made by its master perfumers, it composes imaginative, vibrant, and unexpected fragrances; an olifactive library of extraordinary notes for the eternally curious.
Pluess believes that the “British-ness” of Molton Brown is one of its strengths. “We’re extremely proud of our London roots,” he says. “Having a Royal Arms from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a huge plus. Combine that with collections that are inspired from destinations across the world and we see Molton Brown as the perfect travel retail offer.”
Currently listed in the UK through World Duty Free and Aelia, along with a number of other European destinations through Heinemann, Aer Rianta and Dufry, the brand is now seeking retail partners in key locations throughout the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
“We’re looking to be in the top 20 key international airports by 2020,” continues Pluess. “This may be a very optimistic objective, but it is one that I feel is achievable,” he says. “Molton Brown brings a unique offering to airports; not only do we have a broad range of luxury products, we also bring an interesting story and credibility behind our brand.”
In order to build awareness of Molton Brown within the global channel, the company has appointed specialist travel retail public relations company, Essential Communications (EC). Molton Brown will be working with EC to help boost its profile in the sector, and both parties are looking forward to a successful and fruitful future partnership.
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