Mars ITR to reveal ground-breaking insights on WHY travellers shop in GTR

At TFWA World Exhibition & Conference this October, Mars International Travel

Retail (Bay Village 9), the travel retail business unit of the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate, chewing gum, mints and fruity confections, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, will reveal new insights that focus on WHY travellers shop for confectionery. As part of its refreshed Category Vision, Mars ITR will explain how these reasons translate to global travel retail and how they will help address the category’s key challenge of converting travelers into shoppers.

Alongside the background to these findings, Mars ITR will demonstrate to its customers

the importance of offering a complete product offer to travellers covering all purchasing

reasons. That includes not only the traditional chocolate treats but also confections, gum and mints.

“When purchasing confectionery, consumers generally shop for one of four different

reasons,” says Raghav Rekhi, Category Director Mars ITR. “To Recharge, to Reward themselves, to Connect with others, or to Celebrate. In global travel retail, purchasing is primarily to Connect, with Celebrate coming a close second. However, our insights indicate there are opportunities in the Recharge and Reward space across all price points.”

In Cannes this year Mars will have a clear message for retailers. “Our portfolio – with global and regional brand leaders – is designed to address all consumer needs and reasons for purchase,” continues Rekhi. “For 2019, Mars ITR will continue to do what we’re best at – and that’s offering travellers a portfolio of brands and products that addresses all consumer needs. Our step-change is a new additional focus on the opportunities to meet all the WHY drivers such as seasonal Celebration (Eid, Diwali, Chinese New Year, Christmas, Easter), Connect (through our already successful snacking and sharing packs) and Recharge/Reward, by driving checkout and point of purchase sales, where gum is a must.”

Details of Mars ITR’s updated strategy to drive conversion and deliver the potential of Confectionery in travel retail will be presented to customers in Cannes this year.

“In the disruptive environment we find ourselves in, our focus should be on meeting the travelers’ needs,” Rekhi concludes. “We’re best positioned to deliver on those.”