Mars International Travel Retail (MITR) will present new travel retail exclusive products and updated displays at next month’s IAADFS Duty Free Show of the Americas in Orlando .
MITR said it is focusing on the North American market to “step change” growth in the confectionery category and underlined its commitment to developing the gum and sugar confections category.
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Extra attention: A travel retail exclusive pack of Extra gum will be spotlighted at Orlando |
MITR Category Director Matt Boulter said: “In domestic markets, gum and sugar confections can represent over 40% of total confectionery sales and yet in travel retail they deliver less than 10% of total sales, so the potential is enormous.”
According to MITR, an increasing number of retailers’ ranges include gum and sugar confections. The company said it was stepping up to maintain its category leadership and to provide solutions to unlock the potential of the category.
A new 18 x 26gr Skittles Fruits stand up pouch (with handle) will be launched in July and an 8 x 10 pack of Extra gum, will be available in June. In premium box packaging, the pack includes Extra Spearmint, Extra Peppermint and Extra Whitesweet Mint flavours. Both products are exclusive to travel retail.
The Galaxy chocolate brand, relaunched at last year’s TFWA World Exhibition, will also be highlighted at IAADFS.
“Currently the brand is only distributed in travel retail in parts of the Middle East and Asia, yet Galaxy is the biggest pure chocolate brand in the domestic market. 95% of those sales are from four markets only: UK, Middle East, America and China and with these being the biggest travelling markets, MITR sees outstanding opportunity for its silky smooth brand,” MITR stated.
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Galaxy: Travel retail represents an outstanding opportunity for this brand, according to MITR |
Four new Galaxy products have been created with two of MITR’s category vision concepts – “˜Showing Thought’ and “˜Home Sweet Home’ – in mind. Galaxy Pouches contain mini bars of Smooth Milk, Caramel and Crispy while Galaxy Multi-Pack presents six tablets (4x114g and 2x135g) in three flavours: Smooth Milk, Caramel and Cookie Crumble. Jewels offers a mixture of flavoured bonbons of Galaxy chocolate.
According to MITR, the new products are key elements in the company’s Laws of Growth strategy, offering reasons for growth and unlocking missed opportunities within the confectionery sector through focus on core SKUs.
“Showcasing how to drive sales through the conversion of lighter buyers with the Power of a Smile Category vision, MITR will present tangible ways in which to apply the Laws of Growth and drive sales through excellence in execution in-store. All of these initiatives will be brought to life with new product development, updated displays and an exciting programme of activations and promotions for 2016,” MITR stated.
“Confectionery is perfect for driving conversion in travel retail as it is an impulsive category and full of some of the world’s most loved brands,” Boulter added.
“This is as true in the Americas as anywhere, with Snickers and M&M’S the preferred confectionery brands in the Americas at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Our objective for 2016 is to step change growth, with North America as a focus market, by implementing the Laws of Growth through the Power of a Smile category vision.
“With 50% or more of passengers not even entering the duty free/travel retail shops and only 9% buying confectionery, we see the category as a huge opportunity.”
