Introduction: Mondelez World Travel Retail (WTR) recently revealed its Destination: Value mission; a strategy which aims to unlock incremental growth across travel retail by 2030, extending well beyond the confectionery category.
The strategy, built on extensive shopper research and global data analysis, addresses evolving traveller behaviour and wider retail trends to inspire new ways of driving conversion and engagement.
At the heart of the framework lies a reimagining of duty free as a channel where “the journey is the reward”. Empowered by deep consumer insights, behavioural science and a data-driven approach, Mondelez WTR has identified four key growth levers – Drive Consideration, Drive Penetration, Drive Volume and Drive Value – supported by ten actionable insights that can benefit brands, retailers and airports across categories.
In this interview, Mondelez WTR Marketing Manager Anna Somogyi reflects on how these insights challenge long-held assumptions about travel retail shopper behaviour, explores how gamification, scarcity and elevated storytelling are being applied in live activations, and outlines how the model can scale beyond confectionery.
She also discusses how WTR is tackling the snacking-opportunity gap, balancing price accessibility with premiumisation and why the industry must move from siloed thinking to a holistic traveller-journey approach.
The Moodie Davitt Report: How do the data and insights from Mondelez WTR’s Destination: Value study challenge traditional assumptions about travel decision-making and purchase behaviour in travel retail?
Anna Somogyi: I differentiate between data and insights. Data tells us the what. For example, how many Gen Z travellers there are or how much they spend. Insights tell us the why, like the fact that Gen Z tend to have a fixed budget, which we need to consider when planning marketing activations. We need both: insights to guide our actions, and data to quantify the business case.
The reason we started with this challenge is that we, as an industry, tend to focus too much on the outcomes – penetration and transaction value – rather than on what drives these outcomes. Insights should help us understand the reasons behind behaviour instead of just over-analysing the same data points.
For me, the real shift is in how we think about travellers and their needs. For decades, duty free has been driven by value and money-saving. I’m not saying we should leave that behind, but we now need to evolve into a channel that entertains and engages, a place travellers come to for fun, not just savings.
The behavioural science principles you mentioned in the webinar included scarcity, gamification and perceived value. Can you share examples of how you’ve already applied these?
A good example is the ‘Fortune Wheel’. It’s a simple but effective mechanic; you spin the wheel and win something. It works across categories and brands. We’ve used it successfully for Cadbury in multiple locations and it always drives engagement.
Gamification also worked well for Oreo. We’ve done ‘Connect 4 Oreo’ games and activations linked to our Premier League sponsorship, where travellers could play football in-store. It’s not just about winning; it’s about creating a moment of fun and reward.
You mentioned an exciting marketing roll-out coming soon. What can we expect next from Mondelez WTR?
Storytelling will take a big step forward. We’ll communicate flavours, innovations and product benefits in a much more engaging way. For example, multi-flavour collections combining Cadbury, Toblerone and Oreo.
We’ll also elevate the traveller experience with activations similar to Toblerone Crunchy Popcorn, which we’ll showcase at the upcoming Trinity Forum. I can’t reveal too much yet, but it’s going to be a major activation – giving everyone another reason to attend Trinity.
To what extent can these findings be applied beyond confectionery, say in beauty, spirits or souvenirs?
These insights are universal. We spent almost a year developing them, debating which action points would be relevant beyond our own category. The ten actions we shared can be applied across brands and retailers.
For example, ‘boost multiple occasions’ can easily be adopted in convenience or food & beverage, it doesn’t always need to come from a brand. The idea is to inspire change across the value chain and encourage everyone to add something extra for the shopper.
Speaking of cross-category explorations into food & beverage, Mondelez was a pioneer with the Oreo Café alongside Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport in Doha. Could we see more projects like this in the future?
The Oreo Café is a unique, cutting-edge concept, the only one of its kind in the world. We’re proud of it, but it’s more about brand-building and experience than commercial strategy.
What we’re now focused on with Destination Value is more rational change – how we can drive incremental transactions across the traveller journey. F&B plays an important role here. For example, when someone sits down for a coffee, having a small, affordable treat or gifting option nearby can drive additional purchases. It’s about combining experiences to add value at every stage.
The research highlighted a gap between the potential of the snacking market in travel retail and current penetration. How are you addressing this?
We won’t close the gap completely, but the opportunity is huge with over +50% growth potential. Most confectionery is already bought for snacking or self-treating and that will continue to grow as people look to reward themselves while travelling.
Our research showed differences in purchase moments – some buy snacks for immediate consumption, others for the flight. The need is similar, but the product and touchpoint differ. Understanding that nuance helps us place the right product in the right location for each occasion.
In focus groups, we found that many ‘gifts’ are actually bought as self-rewards. People say, “I’ll take this home for myself because I can only buy it when I travel.” Gifting remains important, but we need a more nuanced view of who’s actually consuming the product. Packaging, storytelling and gamification all play a role in elevating perceived value across both self-treat and gifting.
How are you ensuring Mondelez caters to all consumers across the price ladder, especially as the current macro-economic climate impacts spending?
Over the last five years we saw a shift in pricing trends. Mid-tier products (€10-€15) used to dominate, but prices are moving upwards and entry-level options are shrinking.
To address this, we’re launching new mid-size formats under €10, such as 200g Toblerone and Cadbury Milk, to maintain accessibility. We’re also launching premium self-treat products in the mid-tier price range. It’s all about maintaining balance in the portfolio while maximising value.
How is Mondelez using the Destination: Value research and strategy to capture new opportunities in emerging markets and new consumer groups?
We partnered with 32 airports worldwide to study different traveller patterns. These hubs capture diverse nationalities, including high-growth markets such as India and Africa, allowing us to see how people behave differently depending on where they travel from.
For example, some nationalities are more open to purchasing abroad than others. Indians tend to be more willing to buy, while others are more cautious. Understanding these nuances helps us tailor our approach by nationality, price point and purchase occasion.
How can the learnings from Destination: Value be translated into collaborative industry initiatives?
We need to stop thinking in silos, as individual stores, brands or categories, and focus on the traveller journey as a whole. Because at the end of the day, travellers don’t distinguish between retailer and brand when they shop in an airport.
Breaking silos means sharing inspiration, data and, importantly, rethinking business models. We’ll be discussing this at The Trinity Forum – particularly how we can share costs and rewards more fairly across channels. The goal is a unified effort to deliver a best-in-class airport experience.
Finally, what’s your long-term ambition for Destination: Value and how will that help Mondelez WTR achieve its mission of transforming travel retail into a place where the journey is the reward?
If we look ten years ahead, success will mean travellers arrive earlier to enjoy the airport, because the travel retail experience is exciting and rewarding. The airport should become a place they want to explore, filled with unique products only available there.
From an industry perspective, I hope we’ll have a benchmark system that tracks transaction value by terminal and by nationality, across the world continuously raising standards and improving the way we serve travellers. ✈
