French chocolatier Mademoiselle de Margaux has set its sights on expansion in travel retail, making its first appearance at the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition last month.
The company was established in 1969 in Margaux, a wine-growing commune and Appellation d’origine contrôlée within Haut-Médoc in Bordeaux, France. It was reputed at the time for two specialties: the production of Guinettes, preserved cherries in dark chocolate enhanced by a dash of Armagnac, and of chocolate bars used in the composition of chocolate buns or “˜chocolatines’.
Ten years later a technical error inadvertently created one of the company’s most successful products. One of the pipes in the machine making the chocolate sticks became clogged and produced a new wavy shape. Drawing inspiration from the neighbouring vines, these chocolate “˜twigs’ were named Sarments du Médoc (French for “branches of the Médoc”).
Sales of the award-winning product have since exceeded two million boxes a year on the domestic and international markets.
Moving in tandem with market and consumer trends, the company has updated its strategy and presented new collections, with new recipes, new ingredients, new packaging and new distribution circuits. Each element has been reviewed to enable the positioning of Mademoiselle de Margaux on the market of top of the range chocolate makers, the company said.
Speaking to The Moodie Report, Mademoiselle de Margaux Export Manager Faozia Math-Ly-Roun said that the brand is targeted at fine chocolate lovers and – drawing from the heritage of its origin – wines and spirits connoisseurs.
“We suggest pairing Sarments du Médoc with a glass of champagne. Think of it as a new way of enjoying wines, champagnes and spirits – it is part of enjoying life,” Math-Ly-Roun said.
In line with this concept, the company aims to differentiate itself from other brands in the confectionery category by retailing alongside the wines & spirits category.
“We want to bring something different to the travel retail market, so instead of focusing on confectionery stores, we want to develop a cross-selling strategy with the wines, spirits and champagnes,” Math-Ly-Roun explained, adding that the brand will exhibit at Vinexpo in Bordeaux this month and at the TFWA World Exhibition in October.
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La Guinette (left) and Le Raisin (right) combine fresh fruits and selected liquor enrobed in dark chocolate, while Perles du Médoc (below right) are golden raisins covered in dark chocolate | |
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Sarments du Médoc comes in several gift formats, such as the 240g L’inspiration Chocolat gift pack (above) and the Cuvée Spéciale Chocolat wooden coffret (top left) |
In travel retail, Mademoiselle de Margaux is present in Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Nice Côte d’Azur Airport. In the domestic market, the brand was recently launched in Hysan Place in Hong Kong, in partnership with a company selling wine and wine accessories. It will soon roll out in Taiwan.
The Mademoiselle de Margaux product range – comprising Sarments du Médoc, Perles du Médoc, La Guinette and Le Raisin – has a strong gifting element, with baby blue box packaging featuring fruit and chocolate imagery.
Sarments du Médoc is a blend of pure cocoa butter chocolate, made with selected beans and flavours or natural extracts. Available as a 60g and 125g (€8), it comes in six flavours: Dark Chocolate 68%, Dark Chocolate Orange, Dark Chocolate Mint, Dark Chocolate Raspberry, Milk Chocolate Pear, and Milk Chocolate Caramel.
Each season sees the introduction of a new flavour – Dark Chocolate Strawberry & Pepper will be launched in September 2013 as a limited edition.
“Our main business today is at Paris airports with Aelia, and that is really growing because they are working very hard to push the brand. The whole product portfolio is available there, with the Mademoiselle de Margaux branding; we also have buy-three-get-one-free promotions. This September, we will also launch gift boxes with a destination sleeve featuring the Eiffel Tower,” Math-Ly-Roun revealed.
Sarments du Médoc comes in several gift formats, such as the 240g L’inspiration Chocolat gift pack of four flavours (€19) – 68% Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Orange, Dark Chocolate Raspberry, and Milk Chocolate Caramel – and the Cuvée Spéciale Chocolat wooden coffret, designed to look like a wine box.
Perles du Médoc, made up of golden raisins covered in dark chocolate, is available in two sizes: a 180g gift box (€12) and a 50g mini box suitable for airlines. Hints of peach and apricot from the golden raisin add a delicate, fruity flavour which complements the dark chocolate coating made with pure cocoa butter, the company said.
La Guinette and Le Raisin combine fresh fruits and selected liquor enrobed in dark chocolate – Morello cherries with Armagnac and grapes with rum, respectively. The cherries and grapes are free of pits and seeds, making it a treat that is easy to consume. La Guinette and Le Raisin are available in 16-piece (190g) and 9-piece (110g, €10) gift boxes.
According to Math-Ly-Roun, the brand has been receiving a positive reception from Asian customers at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, particularly the Japanese, Chinese and Taiwanese. She attributed this to the trend towards dark chocolate and the preference for light, fruity flavours in health-conscious Asia.
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The Mademoiselle de Margaux shop corner in Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport | |
Révillon Chocolatier
The TFWA Singapore show also saw the introduction of Mademoiselle de Margaux’s sister brand, Révillon Chocolatier, and its main speciality, the papillote. A papillote is a traditional French Christmas candy wrapped in shiny gold or metallic paper tied at both ends, and often contains a secret message.
Founded in the south east in France in 1898, Révillon Chocolatier offers over 100 papillote recipes, but only six are selected for travel retail: caramel pieces and fondant & milk chocolate, pure almond praline & milk chocolate, cookie sweetness & milk chocolate, praline with almond splits & dark chocolate, cocoa heart & dark chocolate, and almond pieces and praline & dark chocolate.
Révillon’s Papillotes Gift Collection, exclusive to travel retail, includes five items: Amour, Gourmandise, Amour & Gourmandise gift set, Chance, and Bonheur.
Amour and Gourmandise (€6 each) are 60g boxes of assorted milk and dark chocolates respectively; each contains three exclusive chocolate recipes. The Amour & Gourmandise gift set contains three boxes of six assorted chocolates of both the milk and dark variety – all six recipes are included.
Chance (€23-25) is a 180g cube-shaped gift box in royal purple packaging, topped with a tassel for a premium touch. It contains assorted milk and dark chocolates in two recipes: pure almond praline & milk chocolate and praline with almond splits & dark chocolate.
Also a cube-shaped gift box, Bonheur (€35) is 360g with brown packaging and comes with four recipes: caramel pieces and fondant & milk chocolate, cookie sweetness & milk chocolate, cocoa heart & dark chocolate, and almond pieces and praline & dark chocolate.
“With the increasing demand for high quality chocolate as gifts in Asia, Middle East and South America, coupled with the success of our unique specialty in the domestic markets, we are now ready to make Révillon Chocolatier synonymous with all festive events worldwide with this launch, bringing alternative choices to travellers,” the company said.
The chocolatier is targeting customers who are seeking premium chocolates presented in fancy gift packaging for special occasions such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day or Chinese New Year, as well as souvenirs and business gifts.
Révillon Chocolatier is present in all major markets in Asia including China, Middle East and South America.
For more information, contact Faozia Math-Ly-Roun, tel: +33 4 77 68 80 06; fax: +33 4 77 68 80 20; or e-mail: faozia.mathlyroun@mademoiselledemargaux.fr. Visit www.mademoiselledemargaux.fr and www.revillonchocolatier.fr.
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Révillon’s Papillotes Gift Collection, exclusive to travel retail, includes five items |
