Tobacco & RRP Report
View from the brands: Villiger
Villiger Senior Vice President Export Gert Kamphuis underlines the role of travel retail as a priority channel for the Swiss cigar maker. The company is launching several editions and exclusives for travellers “who are looking for something special”.
These include La Libertad 6, a special edition for Dubai Duty Free initially.
La Libertad is a “strong, tasteful” cigar made at the company’s factor in Nicaragua; Villiger 1492 is a milder cigar from the Dominican Republic while Villa Dominicana is a value range also from the Dominican Republic. Expanding distribution for these ranges is high on the agenda, says Kamphuis. Of other priorities, he adds: “We want to be prepared as well as possible for when China opens for travellers in the coming months.”
To build the business more widely, Villiger says it would welcome more space devoted to the handmade cigars category. Kamphuis adds that enhanced opportunities to buy through arrivals stores can also help engage consumers.
On what a great travel retail partnership looks like to the company, he says: “Partnership for us means an open dialogue with operators about the opportunities to engage with the consumers as well as training the sales staff to build their knowledge about our brands, to better serve the consumer.”
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The Moodie Davitt eZine Issue 316 | 31 October 2022
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