Travel retail exclusives special report
Game-changing exclusives
Brands of all sizes have released high-profile travel retail exclusives over recent months. Here is a selection of vibrant products that have caught the eye of The Moodie Davitt Report team.
Craigellachie 39-year-old
The oldest, rarest and most expensive bottling for Craigellachie was exclusively released through World Duty Free at London Heathrow Airport by Bacardi Global Travel Retail.
Just 138 of the individually-numbered bottles were created – and all were made available at the airport for £3,500 (US$4,575).
“Craigellachie 39-year-old is a fantastic launch for us and perfectly fits our mission to present rare and exclusive opportunities to our whisky customers,” says Dufry UK Liquor Category Manager Paul Martin of the release.
Toblerone Gingery Orange (360g)
Mondelez World Travel Retail is introducing a new flavour of its full-size Toblerone exclusively in global travel retail for a year.
Toblerone Gingery Orange (360g), which will be released in April, combines milk chocolate with orange peels covered with ginger.
The new flavour has already proved popular in the Toblerone ‘tiny’ format, according to Mondelez World Travel Retail Head of Brand Marketing Irina Tarabanko, and is expected to be a hit in full-size bars.
Martell Legacy Release Limited Edition
Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail is honouring the 40th anniversary of duty free in China with the release of a special edition of Martell Cordon Bleu across ten key China Duty Free Group (CDFG) locations.
The exclusive bottling has paired Martell Cordon Bleu, the Cognac brand’s signature expression, with a 40-year-old blend of eaux-de-vie sourced from the Borderies.
“The stunning Martell Legacy Release Limited Edition is a fitting way to mark this significant milestone for China Duty Free Group,” says CDFG President Charles Chen.
Shiseido Defense & Clarifying Radiance Set
Shiseido has exclusively released a collection of three of its skincare bestsellers with The Shilla Duty Free.
The collection contains Shiseido’s Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (100ml), the Ultimune Power Infusing Eye Concentrate (15ml), and the Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam (125ml).
“We worked with Japanese illustrator Shun Sasaki to invoke a Sense of Place on the packaging with images of Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea in his colourful and contemporary style,” says Shiseido Travel Retail Vice President of Marketing & Innovation Elisabeth Jouguelet of the visual appeal of the collection.
The Macallan Concept Number 2
After the success of exclusively launching The Macallan Concept Number 1 with Dubai Duty Free, Edrington repeated the winning formula for the second in the series.
The travel-exclusive Macallan Concept Series combines The Macallan’s whisky making with innovative art, music and culture. The second release in the series struck a chord with travellers by offering shoppers the chance to make their own music.
At the time of the whisky’s release in January 2020, Dubai Duty Free Vice President – Purchasing Sharon Beecham emphasised the importance of exclusives for delivering a “truly differentiated experience” for customers in Dubai.
Godiva Coeur Iconique Range
For the latest release of its travel retail-exclusive Coeur Iconique range, Godiva has dressed up the heart-shaped box in rainbow colours.
“It is not only exclusive but also a limited edition, produced in very limited quantities,” says Godiva Global Travel Retail & Continental Europe Channel Marketing Director Leen Baeten.
“The uniqueness of the product comes from its impactful design; not only is it 100% on trend, it is also intriguing. It interacts with its environment as it picks up colours and slightly changes its look. It makes travellers curious and invites them to take a closer look.”
Hendrick’s Amazonia
From World Cucumber Day to eye-catching activations, William Grant & Sons has used travel retail as a channel to be creative with its Hendrick’s brand.
The latest innovation will see the newest variant, Hendrick’s Amazonia, exclusively released in the channel from March.
The bright and tropical new expression is inspired by Hendrick’s Master Distiller Lesley Gracie’s journey into the Venezuelan rainforest, and a tree will be planted in Peru for every bottle of Hendrick’s Amazonia sold.
Nestlé Swiss
Nestlé International Travel Retail didn’t just release a new product exclusively into travel retail, it released a whole range: Nestlé Swiss.
Upon its relaunch exclusively for the channel, the premium chocolate collection contained six tablet variants, and a selection of snacking and sharing sizes.
“The combination of perfectly-crafted Swiss chocolate in a luxury package and a travel retail-exclusive brand has created a multi-layered and artisanal experience for shoppers seeking both heritage and uniqueness in the market today,” explains Nestlé International Travel Retail General Manager Stewart Dryburgh.
A new addition to the range – Nestlé Swiss Dark Blueberry (170g) – will be released in March.
Johnnie Walker Black Label Origin Series
“These four expressions are giving consumers insight into Johnnie Walker Black Label to begin to understand what is behind it,” says Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge of the launch of the Johnnie Walker Black Label Origin Series.
Customers in travel retail got an unprecedented insight into Johnnie Walker Black Label three months before any other consumers, as these four expressions were exclusively released in airports globally.
Each of the four blends honoured a different Scotch whisky region (the Highlands, Islay, the Lowlands and Speyside) by solely containing whiskies from that region.
Rituals gift sets & pouches
For its travel retail-exclusive ranges, Rituals has focused on gifting and convenience.
The brand’s gift sets, available for The Ritual of Sakura, The Ritual of Ayurveda, and the Ritual of Happy Buddha, contain full-size foaming shower gel (200ml), full-size hair & body mist (50ml), mini body cream (70ml), and mini body scrub (70ml).
Rituals’ pouches have a convenience element by containing a selection of the wellness brand’s best-selling travel essentials under 100ml.
The Dalmore Trio, Quartet and Quintet
Whyte & Mackay is celebrating 180 years of The Dalmore by reinforcing the whisky brand’s position in travel retail.
One of the key ways this is being achieved is through the release of three new expressions exclusively in the channel in July of this year: the Trio, Quartet and Quintet.
Commenting on the importance of exclusives, Whyte & Mackay Director of Global Travel Retail Richard Trimby says: “All of these releases demonstrate Whyte & Mackay’s dedication to crafting something new, special and exciting for shoppers in this very important market.”
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The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 277 | 24 February 2020
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