Coeur de Lion, the German jewellery brand known for minimalist design and fresh colour combinations, is on the move in travel retail.
The brand already has a strong presence in the channel with popular lines featured by leading retailers in all sectors, including inflight and cruise, and travel retail accounting for 27% of the company’s revenue.
Launched in 1987, Coeur de Lion quickly attracted attention and customers in the jewellery market with its colourful GeoCube designs and stainless steel and crystal jewellery.
The family-owned company is now managed by a group of investors with expertise in the jewellery sector. Its products are available in over 30 countries, stocked by 4,000 independent jewellers and featured in global travel retail through partners including Avolta and Gebr. Heinemann.
In the cruise sector, Coeur de Lion collaborates with Starboard, MSC, Harding Retail and Heinemann and inflight with leading airlines, including Swiss, Eurowings, Condor, Lufthansa and Ethiopian Airlines.
According to Coeur de Lion Travel Retail Key Account Manager Ana Vassallo, the brand’s success in travel retail is due to its products, its know-how and craftsmanship, and its steady production base in Stuttgart, Germany.
“What makes it work so well in travel retail is the wow effect that our jewellery has at the PoS,” Vassallo said.
She explained that Coeur de Lion’s GeoCube designs are inspired by the German artistic movement Bauhaus. Along with a know-how in the use of colours, the designs follow and adapt to seasonal trends yet maintain a timeless appeal “making each of our designs a one of a kind”.
“We like to play also with shapes, using not only the GeoCube design, but also semi-precious stones and pearls,” Vassallo added. “It is this product mix that is always so interesting to our customers.”
Coeur de Lion recently opened its first space in Mexico through a collaboration with Avolta in Los Cabos, in line with an expansion strategy that targets further growth in the Americas.
“This is just the beginning of a process of expansion, and we are really excited about the new opportunities for the brand ahead,” Vassallo commented. “Asia is also in our sights as we recognise the importance of this market in travel retail. For the moment, we are trying to build the best strategy for a sustainable growth, and we are thankful for the support we have received from our partners.”
She pointed out that Coeur de Lion is in the enviable position of appealing to a wide range of demographics, ages and nationalities. “This wide appeal is what makes our brand stand out, whether it is the colour of the stones, the designs or the aesthetics. The GeoCube is loved by women of all ages; that’s the power of a strong product design.”
The Coeur de Lion product line-up includes the Iconic Collection, with ten necklaces and bracelets in the GeoCube design, while its GeoCube range offers over 190 products, including earrings. Special editions are available, along with Natural Selection and Classics, both featuring semi-precious stones and pearls, and Joyful Bracelet lines.
A Unisex range, which includes Unisex Link Chain and Unisex Chain and Green Aventurine bracelets, is rolling out with key river cruise partners.
Seasonal collections are featured by Coeur de Lion as it targets Gen Z consumers with reworked minimalistic styles of GeoCubes. A Birth Stone collection, developed with younger consumers in mind and launched earlier this year, has also proven popular with other demographics.
“It is fair to say that Coeur de Lion is a brand that knows how to adapt to the market,” Vassallo added. “We are bringing our know-how and love of timeless design to every new collection and product. This recipe has proven to be very successful both in domestic markets as well as for travel retail.”
New to the Coeur de Lion development strategy is a ‘grab-and-go’ option for airport retailing. “Here we are targeting customers who have limited time to shop for our products with a dedicated selection that combines bestsellers with colourful novelties,” Vassallo explained.
“The grab-and-go solution has been developed thinking of our airport customers. With a mix of 48 products we are very excited to present this new concept in Cannes and to offer for the first time a product outside of the usual display environment, but in a box concept that is easy to grab.”
The new collection will be highlighted at the upcoming TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes (Yellow Village, D42), along with Coeur de Lion’s latest collections and its recently acquired Qudo brand.
Qudo specialises in customisable jewellery, and its latest stainless steel and coloured crystal Firenze and Tivola lines will be featured at the Cannes event.
‘Made in Germany’
Considering the importance of Coeur de Lion’s ‘Made in Germany’ tag, Vassallo said: “It is definitely a unique selling proposition nowadays, but also there is a growing appreciation within the market for craftsmanship and handmade productions. Most of our customers are amazed that each piece is handcrafted and carefully created in Stuttgart.
“Timeless designs and top quality guarantee the longevity of our products,” she added, noting how Coeur de Lion meets the on-going stacking trend, offering wearing options for different occasions. ✈️
