Herbal confectionery specialist Ricola will emphasise its Swiss heritage and its positive approach to the future of travel retail at the Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo in October. Ricola is a Silver Partner of the inaugural event.
Its #Virtual Stand CF-S2, in the Confectionery & Find Foods Hall, will feature interactive engagement zones, new products and a behind-the-scenes (virtual) tour.
Earlier this year Ricola revealed plans for an extended travel retail product line-up when business restarts after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitors will be invited to experience the company’s sustainable herb cultivation practices and see Ricola CEO Thomas P. Meier team up with the company’s longest-serving employee – a herbal drop maker – to provide a glimpse into the making of the product.
“They will bring Ricola to life with their own stories of working for the brand,” the company said.
Following a packaging design refresh on key products, Ricola will reveal details of a new product: the Original Herb and Lemon Mint flavour herb drops with sugar, in a new 90g travel exclusive tin.
Ricola Vice President Sales Middle East & Travel Retail Andreas Reckart said: “The sustainable, sugar-free and herbal aspects of our products are important for us and well-recognised the world over.
“Nevertheless, a sizeable market for sugar products remains and we are seizing the opportunity to balance our portfolio and expand the appeal of our confectionery through the introduction of the new Original Herb and Lemon Mint flavour tins.”
Ricola will also showcase its 200g assorted sugar-free tin, with a new design combining images of its herbal heritage with travel graphics. Multipacks of three limited-edition 75g tins in Original Herb, Lemon Mint and Cranberry flavours will be highlighted.
The brand said the multipack release builds on the success of the three products, which were introduced to travel retail in 2019, and became Ricola’s best-performing items in the channel.
“The staggering impact of COVID-19 on the travel retail industry has given all of us who work within it the time to reflect on what we do best and perhaps consider where we can make improvements or additions to the way that we do business and what we offer to both our partners and international travellers,” Reckart added.
“The range of Ricola drops and products we’ll be displaying at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2020 will reflect this newly expanded, rebalanced product range.
“We are not only looking forward to picking up where we left off at the start of 2020, which was a very strong start for us, but to heralding the beginning of both our recovery and that of the wider industry, in Asia and the rest of the world.”
Virtual becomes reality for Ricola at the Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail ExpoThe unique 5-day ‘live’ event, followed by a 30-day showcase, begins on 12 October, just after the conclusion of the Chinese Golden Week holidays. It features a star-studded series of events across the five days, including a Symposium, category workshops and a new consumer research initiative.
“As one of the world’s most modern and innovative manufacturers of herb drops, we are always happy to be associated with original ideas. “Our progress in global travel retail over the past three years has been amazing and at the beginning of the year our sales were +130% up, so we know that the long-term potential for Ricola is massive. “The COVID-19 epidemic has challenged us all massively, but from Q3 onwards we expect a gradual recovery, starting with our business in Asia and then hopefully expanding to the rest of the world. To be ready for this, we need to stay in close contact with our customers and distributors; the Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo is the perfect format for us to do just that as we restart our industry.” Registration is free for buyers, exhibitors and preferred media partners. (Click here to register) |
“Ricola is very happy to be involved with the inaugural Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo,” Reckart said.
