Stockholm health tech brand Airinum is focusing on expansion in travel retail for its range of anti-pollution masks.
According to Airinum, air quality is one of the world’s largest health and environmental challenges. It cites WHO figures which indicate that air pollution kills over 6 million people annually.
Airinum CEO and Co-Founder Alexander Hjertstrom said the brand’s mission is to create innovative products to empower people to live healthy regardless of their environment. At the same time Airinum aims to raise awareness about air quality.
With a ‘Breathing is Easy. Fresh Air is a Choice’ catch line, Airinum masks target health-conscious urban dwellers, ‘fashion-savvy’ adults and young professionals. The Classic Collection for adults is available in seven unisex designs and four sizes, with a RRP of US$75. Two designs for children are also available. A Limited Edition, in four designs and four sizes, has a RRP of US$86.
Airinum emphasises the masks’ filter capability and fit. Its Urban Air Mask combines multi-layer filter technology with a face-fitting system, 3D memory nose and adjustable nose clip. Two air valves act as a ventilation system for the mask, transporting exhaled air out. It also has adjustable ear loops and an extra head-strap to improve comfort.
“Our product combines advanced multi-layer filter technology with comfort and design, making it a new type of lifestyle accessory for one’s health,” Hjertstrom said.
“Our mask isn’t a cheap surgical mask that doesn’t do anything; it is more like a pair of sunglasses since it is combining real function with design. This combination triggers non-mask users to ‘mask-up’.”
The masks are available on Airinum’s website and the brand’s domestic retail market network, which includes China, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Sweden and Iran. New openings are planned in Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.
In travel retail, Airinum products are available in Korea with Hotel Shilla. “We are in dialogue with some large distributor players in the travel industry and we will visit the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference in Singapore with the aim to find new partners. We see good sales when customers can read, touch and feel the product,” Hjertstrom said.
He noted growth and changes in the mask market. “We will see more people buying masks as a new accessory. As the middle-class grows and demands higher quality products, especially for something that can save lives, they will start looking for more credible brands that are also end-consumer friendly. We therefore predict a shift from trivial surgical and industrial masks to more high-end and fashion masks.”
Hjertstrom said other masks and fashion-tech accessories are under development.
