Kurate focuses on versatile self-select display for Belle & Beau and introduces Author recycled silver collection in Singapore

Travel retail watch and jewellery specialist Kurate International has bounced back from the covid pandemic stronger and more industry-focused than ever.  With an expanded team, new collections and a focus on its Belle & Beau self-select display unit, Kurate returns to TFWA Asia Pacific this year with a clear strategy to drive new business in the region, particularly through the airport, downtown and cruise channels. 

The main focus of the stand in Singapore will be a self-select display unit for the company’s popular Belle & Beau fashion jewellery and watch brand. Perfect for travellers looking for on-trend designs at superb value, Belle & Beau has been an amazing success story for Kurate since its launch in 2015.

The new self-select display unit will drive impulse sales in any travel retail environment. There are several models available to meet varying footprint and stock fill requirements from a new 450 x 250 x 600 cm counter-top unit holding 140 items to a 650 x 650 x 1400 cm FSDU which will take 750 pieces.

“With price points ranging from just £12 to £39, Belle & Beau presents an easy purchasing decision to travellers,” says Travel Retail/International Key Account Manager

Sharon Edwards. “The display units just make that decision even easier with each replicating our unique four-sided marketing strategy, with each side representing a different category: gift ideas, travel retail exclusives, best sellers and on-promotion.” Units are already in place in several airports including London Stansted, Gatwick North & South, Luton, Manchester, and Shannon, along with DFDS Ferries.

 “We see opportunities for the unit in all travel markets, Asia included,” continues Edwards. “Where they are already in place the sell-out has been well above our expectations. Consumers love the range – and retailers love the incremental business!”

Kurate is actively expanding its product line-up to meet a wider price point spectrum. New in Singapore is the gorgeous Author collection of recycled Sterling Silver jewellery. First show-cased at TFWA World Exhibition last October, the Author collection covers price points from £35 to £125 with individual ranges created for inflight and ground-stores/cruise-ferries. 

“Author was very well received in Cannes and we now have a number of listings secured inflight. We’ve also just agreed that Aer Rianta will showcase the brand at Abu Dhabi airport in October,” says Edwards. “In Singapore we’re very keen to introduce Author to buyers – with consumers increasingly looking for products with a sustainable back-story, this collection of recycled Sterling silver jewellery admirably fits the bill,” she explains. “The higher price points make it particularly suitable for airport and downtown shops along with ferries and cruise ships, markets that we are keen to develop in 2023 and beyond.”

 

Buyers visiting the stand can also see the latest additions to the successful Moon collection of watches which continue to offer affordable pieces for travellers looking for stylish designs at amazing value.

 

“It’s great to be back in Singapore post-Covid. We love the region and the show and are very much looking forward to reconnecting with colleagues and friends whilst, of course, making new and valued connections.”

Nestlé unveils new KitKat® Travel Retail Dufry Exclusive

Nestlé International Travel Retail has created a new KitKat® travel retail exclusive limited-edition for Dufry. The KitKat® Salted Caramel & Milk Mini Mix 199.5g pack has begun  rolling out in the retailer’s doors worldwide this month (April).

This latest travel retail offering contains 14 mini, snack-size two-finger KitKat® bars – perfect for a tasty, uplifting treat while travelling. Each pouch features seven pieces of each delicious variety, which are individually packed for maximum convenience. 

This new double act allows travellers to enjoy the classic, creamy milk-chocolate covered KitKat® wafers they know and love, and discover an exciting new salted caramel taste sensation.

Nestlé ITR Marketing Manager Aura Sanchez commented: “The popularity of salted caramel continues to grow, and we’re confident that by pairing this with our iconic classic milk KitKat®, we’ve created a flavour combination that’s a hugely attractive proposition for travellers to try. 

“We understand the importance of regularly refreshing our portfolio, and how exclusive products are instrumental in driving demand in the travel retail arena. We’re thrilled to partner with Dufry to unveil this latest innovation.”

Bruno Stäuble, Dufry Global Category Manager Confectionery, added: “KitKat® is synonymous with breaks, and we anticipate huge demand for this latest addition to the GTR range, which is perfect for sharing and snacking. We’re very excited to be partnering with Nestlé to offer this new and exclusive flavour combination to our customers.”

Nestlé returns to Singapore to continue driving its Food #1 category and regenerative ambitions

Nestlé International Travel Retail returns to TFWA Asia Pacific this year with a Hospitality Suite (Basement 2 L32) dedicated to continuing the company’s mission to build food into travel retail’s #1 most purchased category. This will follow Nestlé ITR’s sponsorship of the Opening Conference welcoming coffee (Monday May 8) where delegates can experience the unrivalled flavour of Nescafé® Roastery Coffee and ‘have a break’ with delicious KitKat® Senses Mini-Desserts and Mini Moments.

Within the suite, Nestlé ITR will showcase its latest new product launches from key brands KitKat®, Smarties®, Nestlé Swiss® and Nescafé®.  These will include the new KitKat Roasted Almond Senses Tablet, KitKat Peanut Butter Gift pack, and KitKat two flavour Mix Sharing bag (including new white variety).

From Smarties comes the new Cool Creatures set, designed to inspire imagination and sea exploration through learning and augmented reality. The kit includes 4 sea-creature construction sheets, 1 playmat, 8 pencils and sticker sheets. It also includes four mini tubes of Smarties, tasty milk chocolates coated in crispy, colourful shells, in recyclable paper packaging.  

A Milk chocolate and Hazelnut addition joins the Nestlé Swiss 170g tablet range, continuing to offer travellers more choice for this totally travel retail exclusive brand.

For the increasing number of retailers seeking to widen their food and beverage offer, Nestlé is providing new opportunities with both the Nescafé Roastery Collection and new Nescafé Azera Americano  – a barista-style coffee collection in original, decaff and intense options, designed to appeal to younger consumers.

TFWA Asia Pacific is a key date in the travel retail calendar for Nestlé. “We are delighted that the exhibition is now back post the Covid pandemic; reflecting the ongoing recovery within the region,” says Nestlé ITR Global Head of Marketing Aura Sanchez. “This will be my first time at the show, and I am very excited to be meeting with our regional customers and partners, reinforcing our relationships and continuing to drive our ambition of Food becoming the #1 most purchased category, delivered through our VERSE model (Value, Engagement, Regeneration, Sense of Place and Execution.)

“The show comes not long after another highly successful appearance for Nestlé ITR at the China International Consumer Product Expo in Hainan, where we had a tremendous response from Chinese consumers for our travel retail portfolio. Now that the Chinese can travel again internationally, we see many opportunities for our brands as chocolate consumption per head continues to grow.”

Most notable in Hainan, adds Sanchez, was consumer interest in Nestlé’s sustainable agenda – indicative of the global shift towards the expectation of CSR from all brands. Regeneration is a key element of VERSE and, in Singapore, the company will be presenting various aspects of Nestlé’s commitment to an environmentally and socially responsible agenda – much of which has important application within the travel retail channel.

For example, plastic-free packaging has now been introduced for all Smarties products, while 2022 saw the introduction of the KitKat Vegan traveller’s pack.  Travelling consumers purchasing Nescafé Roastery and Azera Collections can rest assured that every jar or can purchased meets Nestlé’s ‘Cup of Respect’ whereby coffee is grown, manufactured, packaged and enjoyed respectfully while the Nestlé Income Accelerator Program, helping farmers to reach a living income, was awarded Sustainability Hero status in the TRBusiness Sustainability week.  All these innovations stem from a company committed to using Nestlé’s global scale, resources and expertise to contribute to a healthier future for people and the planet.

‘We believe that, as part of the Nestlé family, we are in a very strong position to offer retailers and airports guidance on consumer’s sustainable expectations and work with them to not only reach but surpass their CSR ambitions,” adds Sanchez.

Gisada underlines travel retail aspirations with debut presence at TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference

Gisada Switzerland will present its luxury fragrance portfolio to travel retail customers at the forthcoming 2023 TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference (Stand 2-G15 Basement 2), in line with the company’s objective to grow its general presence in the channel – and expand further within the region.

Representing modern elegance combined with Swiss quality, the Gisada fragrance assortment features distinctive, in-demand scents, for women and men, composed using ingredients of the highest quality. 

At the Singapore show, the focus will be on the Prestige collection with Ambassador Men and Ambassadora, and the Luxury collection with five very special fragrances.

Ambassador Men, fronted by “hot felon” Jeremy Meeks – a former gang member who found fame as a fashion model and actor when his mugshot went viral – is Gisada’s all-time top-seller. Launched in the summer 2022, Ambassador Men Intense is a richer reinterpretation of its predecessor. Its face is Italian singer and actor Michele Morrone, who gained international recognition for his role as Massimo Torricelli in Netflix drama “365 days”.

Since its creation in 2013, Gisada has steadily grown its business, benefiting from a strong presence in leading European perfumeries such as Douglas, Marionnaud, Manor and Import Parfümerie.

Last year the house partnered with Hanse Distribution to handle its travel retail business across all channels. Inflight listings to date include Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, SWISS, Air Baltic, Condor and easyjet. Gisada is also present at Munich and Tel Aviv airports, in collaboration with Eurotrade and JR-Heinemann.

"We are excited to exhibit at TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference for the first time and showcase the bestsellers of our Prestige fragrance collection in addition to our Super Premium Luxury collection," said Gisada CEO Sadulla Ademi.

“Travel retail remains a gateway to the world, and going forward will play a key role in terms of our distribution, reputation and brand awareness, as we progress our strategy of growing our international footprint around the globe.”

He continued: “The Singapore show provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase our extensive fragrance portfolio, and highlight our premium brand identity. 

"Travel retail is the perfect channel to target different customer groups and allows us to drive awareness and demand through both offline and online platforms. We are very encouraged by the regional recovery and see excellent growth potential for our business in Turkey, the Arabian Peninsula, China, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia.’’

Stand contacts are: Sadulla Ademi, CEO Gisada, and Dennis Holst, Business Development Director, Hanse Distribution.

Women in Travel Retail adds a plus as it becomes more inclusive

At a recent meeting of the Women in Travel Retail Steering Committee, it was agreed to recognise the contribution made to WiTR by its other industry colleagues and add a + to WiTR.

Whilst membership will still be specifically for women, the change signals a more inclusive approach and allows for non-member guests of other genders to join some of WiTR’s meetings and events, such as those held at key trade events throughout the year, such as ASUTIL, IAADFS, MEADFA, TFWA Asia Pacific and TFWA World Exhibition. 

The successful webinar program will also be broadened to include male speakers. 

“Whilst still very much a group which assists women to network and thrive in the world of duty-free and travel retail, WiTR has been and will continue, now as WiTR+, to be deeply grateful for the support that our male colleagues in the industry have given, particularly in raising funds for the various charities we’ve supported over the years. In fact, we could not have done what we’ve done without them,” says WiTR+ chair Sarah Branquinho. “We all felt it was time that we opened our doors to become more inclusive – at least two or three times a year!”

The Committee is also launching corporate membership for companies operating within the duty-free and travel retail channel. This will allow companies to extend their diversity and inclusion programmes by enrolling as members their female GTR staff members.  Details of this new scheme will be announced shortly, but any interested companies should contact any member of the WiTR Steering Committee.

The WiTR Steering Committee: 

Sarah Branquinho (Chair) – Sarah.Branquinho@dufry.com

Gerry Munday (Vice Chair) – gerrymunday2811@gmail.com

Chandra Mahtani – Chandra.Mahtani@changiairport.com

Sinead El-Sibai – Sinead.ElSibai@ddf.ae

Amanda Felix – amandajanefelix@outlook.com

Rowena Holland – row@essencompr.com

Myriem Chalabi – M.Chalabi@tfwa.com

Mona Lebrasseur – M.Lebrasseur@tfwa.com

Erin Lillis – elillis@lacoste.com

Nina Semprecht – N_Semprecht@gebr-heinemann.de

Caroline Buisson – Caroline_Buisson@b-f.com

Joanne Willey – joanne.willey23@gmail.com

Porsche Design unveils the connection of design and performance with new releases

Porsche Design is driving newness for travelling shoppers in 2023, with fascinating new eyewear models which combine technical sophistication and unique design, while staying true to the brand’s pure motorsport DNA. 

The aspiration for maximum functionality, reducing to the essentials and overcoming the unknown are reflected in the new products as the very essence of the brand. To this end, Porsche Design is expanding its exceptional eyewear concepts with brand new frames across its Carbon Fibre, Liquid Titanium and Cyber Tec ranges. All the new releases are available for travelling shoppers at key locations worldwide.

The Carbon Fibre range

The Carbon Fibre range focuses on the core of the Porsche Design brand, drawing on its motorsport roots and its place as the byword for maximum performance. The material is used mainly in motorsport and the automotive industry and is created from the bonding of carbon fibre atoms in a crystalline formation. Carbon fibres are not only extremely stable and corrosion-resistant, but also very light – particularly good properties which also produce clear benefits for spectacles. The temple offers very high wearing comfort thanks to the combination of carbon fibres, stainless steel and rubber as this creates the perfect balance of stability and flexibility. At the same time, the woven carbon fibres are also a unique design element. Colourful highlights in red, blue, grey or black on the inside of the temple and the temple tip emphasise the different structures of the materials used. 

The new sunglasses P‘8962 in aviator style and P‘8964, as well as the two prescription frames (P‘8752 and P‘8753), are each available in four colour combinations. 

The Liquid Titanium range

Simple elegance and a dynamic design, which is based on the flyline of the Porsche 911, characterise the frames of the Liquid Titanium range. Perfectly shaped, three-dimensional temples create a fascinating contrast between light and shadow and thus create a distinctive look, which is evocative of flowing metal. The use of 100 percent titanium makes the frames very light and offers maximum wearing comfort. New in this range are the Squared Aviator P‘8936 and the P‘8947 as round sunglasses with double bridge. A fitting equivalent as prescription frames is the new, square P‘8735, as well as the more discreet nylor frame P‘8751.

The Cyber Tec range

The Cyber Tec concept embodies a distinctive and forward-looking design whose inspiration also comes from motorsport. The striking, clear outline of a future-oriented car design as well as the temple elements, which serve as a reminder of the rear lights of the Porsche 911, were also transferred to the frame, giving the models in the Cyber Tec range an exciting and masculine design. The combination of stainless steel and the high-performance plastic RXP® ensure maximum stability and lightness. 

The function highlight of the models is the three-dimensional temple, which thanks to its stainless-steel core provides flexibility and maximum wearing comfort and perfectly highlights the futuristic look of the Cyber Tec range. The square stainless-steel jaw in contrasting colour acts as a clever link to the temple, which emphasises the masculine proportions of the frames. The Cyber Tec range welcomes two new sunglasses (P‘8948 and P‘8961) as well as two new prescription frames (P‘8738 and P‘8739). 

All new additions to Porsche Design Eyewear are available now in specialist shops as well as online at www.porsche-design.com.

Ricola to reveal new display concept and new packaging designs in Singapore

Swiss herb specialist Ricola returns to Singapore this year for the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition where it will be presenting its new display concept and product range (Basement 2, H6).

The new display concept includes new designs for checkouts, self-standing units and promotional spaces which Ricola hopes to see in airports all across Asia soon. Product-wise, Ricola will be showcasing its regular assortment which since the last Singapore show has undergone significant packing changes and new look designs.

The new brand design by renowned London design agency Lewis Moberly reflects a new positioning with a more confident contemporary stance, now clearly setting out the unique claim ‘made with Swiss Alpine Herbs’, alongside a modernised logo. 

Currently, Ricola’s best-selling products in Asia are the Original Swiss Herb drops and the sugar free Lemon Mint drops, with several minty variations also very well received.

Ricola’s key focus for its Asia Pacific business is on airports, where it is seeing great potential based on its prospering business in local markets, but remains optimistic and open to other channels and continues to pursue them in collaboration with its distribution partners.

Andreas Reckart, Ricola’s Head of Travel Retail, said: “Prior to Covid, Ricola’s business in Asia Pacific Travel Retail was just about to take off following the introduction of our impulse assortment. We had listings with many major retailers including China Duty Free Group, Dufry, Lotte and Shilla – and sales were increasing steadily. Then the pandemic hit and we were back to square one. Fortunately, we were able to maintain contact with most of our partners in Asia and we are now looking forwarded to continuing where we left off before the pandemic.

“We are very much looking forward to exhibiting at this year’s TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition and getting back to where we were pre-covid.”