Dubai food and confectionery specialist BMB Group is set to ramp up its presence in travel retail.
The company, whose name is short for Baklava Made Better, recently appointed Sagar Maniar as Sales Manager Global Travel Retail.
Maniar joined BMB from Beverly Hills Polo Club where he was Head of Business Development. His experience in travel retail includes positions with Intercontinental Duty Free Group and with Heinemann Asia Pacific as Head of Liquor & Tobacco.
Maniar’s remit with BMB is to extend the company’s footprint in travel retail through its two key brands – Petit Gourmet and Freakin’ Healthy – and its private label capabilities.
“BMB plans to expand its presence in the travel retail channel in the next few years,” Maniar said. “Our Mediterranean sweet brands are sold in 14 airports globally targeting regions with high-volume travel. Our focus is on Asia Pacific, Europe and North America, with an emphasis on major airports.”
According to Maniar, BMB’s offering is “tailored for the consumer looking for an experience in a gift”. Through Freakin’ Healthy BMB is targeting health-conscious travellers as well as those looking for easy-to-carry snacks.
“Travel retail provides a unique opportunity for BMB to reach new and diverse customer segments, increase brand awareness, and drive sales,” Maniar added.
“Furthermore, the channel allows us to showcase new and exclusive product offerings and customise products to suit different market tastes. As more people are looking for healthier options in recent years, travel retail can be a great way for BMB to make its healthy snacks easily available and more accessible to consumers.”
BMB was founded in 2007 by UAE entrepreneurs Bilal Ballout and Mohammed Khachab.
Over the last 16 years, the two partners have built up an innovative company which includes chocolates, Mediterranean sweets and healthy snack and food brands. Their mission is to enable food brands to “think innovatively, manufacture efficiently and grow globally”. In 2022, BMB became part of Agthia Group, with a strategy of global expansion in place. |
Petit Gourmet is BMB’s handmade Baklava range which offers regional flavours and Travel Packs in selected locations in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and in the USA.
In travel retail the brand’s products are listed with Dubai Duty Free, Qatar Duty Free, Abu Dhabi Duty Free and selected regional retailers.
According to Maniar, Petit Gourmet “takes Baklava to a new level”, offering traditional recipes, sugar-free and gluten-free options and a range of flavours. Traditional production methods have been retained to ensure the sweets are handmade.
He described Freakin’ Healthy as a “revolutionary functional snack brand”. Its products do not contain wheat or dairy products, are non-GMO, and are free of gluten, preservatives, artificial colours and flavours.
Maniar pointed out that the global healthy snacks market size was valued at US$85.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +6.6% from 2022 to 2030.
“In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the healthy snack market has soared in recent years, as customers become more health-conscious; the demand for nutritious yet delicious products is booming.
“On-the-go snacking is on the rise for the travelling consumer, with a limited choice available in travel retail of truly healthy products. We aim to contribute to this by offering products which both children and adults can enjoy,” Maniar concluded.
