Flair Brand Partners, the commercial agency dedicated to emerging and high-potential beauty labels in travel retail, has said its partnership with Californian skincare brand Summer Fridays has gained strong traction in the channel.
The brand has launched in recent months with ARI and Gebr. Heinemann across airports in Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Austria and Hungary, and is entering Americas travel retail at New York JFK T4 (with ARI and partner International Shoppes).
As reported, Flair Brand Partners was co-founded by travel retail industry veterans Ed Forrest and Antoine Lafourcade, with a mission “to bring the hottest beauty brands into travel retail at exactly the right time”.
They said the excitement around the Summer Fridays skincare brand, already popular with a younger generation of beauty shoppers, has translated well to travel retail.
The brand’s Lip Butter Balm and Jet Lag skincare collections have been particularly in demand, establishing themselves among the brand’s best-selling products, they added.
Forrest said, “We are very grateful for the support we have received from ARI and Gebr. Heinemann and are delighted with how the brand is showing up in stores.
“Summer Fridays is equally pleased with these first steps into travel retail and is committed to developing the channel, with the introduction of dedicated travel-retail exclusives (TREX) as of early 2027.
“It is also excited to continue the brand roll-out to further locations over the coming months in various countries and channels in travel retail. What is also becoming very clear is Summer Fridays’ ability to attract new and younger consumers into travel retail stores.
“I experienced this first-hand over the summer when my daughter insisted that I find her the latest shades of Lip Butter Balm, which feature in the top-selling Sweet Pink Duo promotional set. It’s a great example of the awareness and excitement the brand already generates among younger consumers.”
Lafourcade added: “The brand really stands out in stores thanks to efficient merchandising and its unique blue identity, particularly when brought to life through high-profile activations such as our launch HPP at Oslo Airport.”
Jet Lag Eye Patches are resonating in the channel, added Lafourcade, with travellers capturing the signature blue patches under their eyes in social media posts.
“They are perfectly suited to the travel retail environment – whether preparing for an early-morning departure or recovering after a long-haul flight, those signature blue patches will help refresh, soothe and de-puff the appearance of tired eyes.”
Commenting on performance to date, Gebr. Heinemann Global Head of Category Cosmetics Philippa Schlenkhoff said, “Summer Fridays perfectly reflects the evolution of today’s beauty consumer. The brand combines strong social relevance, highly desirable hero products and a distinctive brand identity that resonates with a younger generation of travellers.
“Since launch, we have seen strong interest across multiple locations, confirming that consumers are actively looking for the brands they already know and love. Summer Fridays is a great example of how we bring highly relevant and sought-after beauty brands into travel retail, creating excitement and attracting new shoppers to the category.”
In Cannes, Flair Brand Partners will present the next phase of Summer Fridays’ travel retail rollout, together with new product launches planned for spring 2027. ✈
