Based on the success of its first airport store, smartphone, laptop and tablet accessory specialist The Kase is seeking to expand in travel retail, offering what it claims to be “a unique, different and high margin retail opportunity” for airports and retailers.
The Kase opened in conjunction with Regent Asia Group at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in February 2015 in a 33sq m area.
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Offering a range of space options, The Kase is tapping into a sector showing exponential growth |
Founded in France in 2012, The Kase specialises in instant customised and “˜ready-to-wear’ fashionable products for Smartphones and associated products. It already has outlets in European, Asian and American domestic markets.
The Kase claims its concept offers a “unique, different and high-margin retail opportunity for airports and operators”. It offers travellers the opportunity to personalise their electronic devices using an easy to operate “˜customisation workshop’.
With the help of a designated iPad application, customers can choose from thousands of different ‘I AM UNIK’ designs – or upload their own – and then print. Customisation is available for a wide range of cases, flip and anti-shock covers, with materials ranging from faux or real leather to wood or silicone. Printing takes eight minutes and up to six Smartphones can be printed at the same time.
Other accessories including cables, head and in-ear phones, chargers and in-car attachments are also available along with a selection of designer brand items including Swarovski, Karl Lagerfeld, Ferrari, Guess and Paul & Joe.
According to the brand, The Kase is “perfect for travel retail”, offering flexible space options from customised shop-in-shops to 15sq m or 22sq m pop-up shops to boutiques between 30 and 60sq m.
The Kase Co-founder Steve Rosenblum said: “The Kase offers travel retail a tremendous opportunity to capitalise on a market in constant expansion. It’s estimated that in 2016 one billion Smartphones and 400 million tablets will be sold – double that of 2012. In addition, the market for accessories is growing equally rapidly, up +80% in 2012 and expected to show +120% growth next year, representing a massive US$50 billion.
“Increasingly, covers for these items are being considered a fashion accessory in their own right. What the Kase offers is the opportunity for travellers to express themselves and their identity through their Smartphones, iPads etc in a quick and easy to use format.”
According to the brand, its potential for travel retail has already been proven by the success of its first airport shop at NAIA Terminal 3. “The response has been phenomenal, ” Rosenblum said.
CHM Group of Companies Joey Esteban commented: “The personalised printing concept of The Kase allows travellers to create products that fit their tastes and needs, giving it a variety of applications in travel retail, either as an impulse item, a gifting product, or as a personalized souvenir. This unique offering, coupled with an engaging customer experience has helped the Kase generate strong sales and customer traffic in our airport.”
The Kase is in discussion with a number of potential partners in international travel retail. “Apart from operating our own stores, The Kase has signed up master franchisees in Europe, the Middle East, Indonesia, Morocco and South Africa, so we already have the local partners in place to work with airports and retail operators to introduce the travel retail channel,” Rosenblum said.
The Kase believes part of its appeal is its ability to keep the offer fresh. “At any one time customers can choose from 93,000-plus designs that are regularly updated by 4,500 designers that we work with across 80 countries,” Rosenblum commented.
Every month we introduce a new theme and up to 3,000 new designs, so whatever the nationality of the customer, there will be designs that appeal. There is no reason why we could not create designs that are exclusive to an airport based on the destination, region etc.”
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The Kase’s customisation workshop offers instant personalisation of smartphones and other electronic devices |
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Customers can choose from over 93,000 designs; materials range from faux and real leather to wood and silicon |
