FRANCE. Haribo is set to unveil two travel retail-exclusive innovations at the upcoming TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes (Bay Village, Stand 39).
The latest offerings reinforce its commitment to product innovation and partnerships that drive category growth.
The Cannes highlight includes the new Pixel Fizz – a colourful vegan candy combining a sour strawberry heart with a tropical-flavoured coating.
Pixel Fizz is presented in three formats – 220g pouch, 425g party bag and 650g maxi pouch – designed for Gen Z consumers with a strong preference for sour flavours.
Haribo is launching its first halal flavour, Mix Fizz Halal, available in a 425g party bag and a 285g pouch.
The latest additions expand the brand’s recent channel-exclusive assortments, including Berry Clouds, Miami Fizz and My CityTrip.
Haribo Director of Marketing Elisa Fontana said: “New launches and product innovation are the lifeblood of the category, driving shopper engagement and conversion. But it’s not simply about being new for the sake of it; it’s crucial that the newness properly reflects consumer needs.
“We focus strongly on travel retail exclusives, including localised special editions unique to an airport location, for example, because shoppers love to discover something new, engaging and resonant with their journey.
“We also resonate with their lifestyles, such as in addressing their dietary and lifestyle needs, including the increasing demand for a wider range of halal-compliant and vegan-friendly options, as reflected in our latest new launches.
“This year, we have had a strong focus on expanding the Haribo presence worldwide, particularly in our push deeper into Asia, and this has seen some great successes built on a shared approach with our key retailer partners.”
She adds: “Haribo celebrates its 105th anniversary later this year, and this solid, trusted heritage is a huge support in engaging with the shopper and persuading them to buy, especially when it’s a new product or when we are entering or expanding into new markets.
“We’ve seen this dynamic feature strongly in our new market penetration this year, such as across the Indian market, where we have achieved significant progress in our listings right across the region, including opening distribution in many new airports, such as Bangalore, New Delhi and Cochin, as well as good progress in Nepal, and hopefully stability will soon be fully returned there.
“We have seen powerful support from the region’s leading retailers and distributors,” Fontana continues. “Within this strategy, we are investing in strong in-store activations, as seen earlier this year in Bangkok and Bali, for example, to give the Haribo brand more visibility and help support category growth.
“With retailer support, we have developed stronger in-store activations, raising the number, scale and creativity of our promotions and activations. Standout successes so far this year include Paris CDG, where we partnered with Lagardère and installed our colourful activation in three key stores in June and August, and we exceeded our sales objectives in all locations.
“In Milan, despite being challenged by the strong growth of local Italian brands, we raised our sales performance compared to last year. And, working with Heinemann at Berlin Airport, we installed our first podium activation, operating from April to June, and this was very well received by shoppers.”
“Within this growth strategy, we have also expanded the number of uniquely localised product editions, such as a special limited-edition Friends & Party Pouch as an exclusive travel retail offer at Dubai Duty Free, presented in a special ‘Dubai Edition’ pack designed with local imagery and graphics.”
Summing up the company’s growth strategy, Fontana says: “Across the whole category journey, from new product innovation to in-store engagement, we have sought to develop smarter, stronger strategies to give the shopper both the products and the in-store experiences that engage and convince them.
“We look forward to meeting with so many industry friends and colleagues in Cannes, and we are confident that we can work ever more closely together in sharing our strategies, commitment and data sharing to engage the shopper and drive the category forward.” ✈
