The Hershey Company is expanding its global airport retail strategy with a new passenger engagement initiative and a revamped travel retail-exclusive (TREX) product range, both scheduled for a 2027 roll-out.
The confectionery group unveiled its ‘Tag Your Trip’ concept and updated product portfolio at the recent TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, building on the international launch of its ‘Take the Taste With You’ platform earlier this year.
The platform has been introduced at airports across Singapore, Dubai, Istanbul, Mumbai, Los Angeles and Miami.
In Mumbai, Hershey staged a branded takeover of Gate 78 at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, described by the company as a first for confectionery in travel retail.
The new Tag Your Trip activation, scheduled for 2027, will allow passengers to personalise their luggage with branded stickers and tags at participating airport retail locations.
Each item will feature a QR code linking to a digital travel bucket list that passengers can build and share.
The concept will be available in different formats to accommodate varying airport retail layouts, Hershey noted.
Hershey is also expanding its gift-with-purchase range, introducing branded duffle bags, collectable plush eye masks and Reese’s tumblers.
The company will roll out its redesigned travel retail-exclusive portfolio during 2027, with the full range expected to be introduced in the second half of the year.
New products include oversized versions of Reese’s 2 Cup and Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme tablet, alongside a 500g assorted pouch of Hershey’s Kisses.
The range will also introduce standardised 250g and 500g formats, updated packaging featuring suitcase designs and travel-themed graphics, and additional gifting products.
The portfolio refresh began in September with Hershey’s Kisses and Nuggets, while Reese’s products and an expanded flavour range will follow during 2027.
The Hershey Company General Manager MEA and World Travel Retail Ahmad Nasser said 2026 had been one of the company’s most successful years in travel retail, driven by the global roll-out of its ‘Take the Taste With You’ platform.
He added, “It’s now time to take the platform to the next level through our new travel retail-exclusive portfolio and Tag Your Trip activation, which were positively received in Cannes.
“There is a near universal joy in personalising luggage with travel stickers – it is a ritual that celebrates places visited, expresses identity and serves as a conversation starter.”
Nasser said the activation would help Hershey’s brands remain visible to consumers beyond their airport visit, while the expanded retail offering was expected to strengthen the confectionery company’s position in 2027. ✈
