USA. Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) will be highlighting its Nestlé Sustainably Sourced Cocoa range alongside novelties from its KitKat, After Eight, Nescafé and Smarties brands at the upcoming IAADFS Summit of the Americas (14-17 April) in Palm Beach, Florida (Booth 101/102). It will also be spotlighting its Together We Grow sustainability platform.
According to NITR, confectionery and food is the biggest cross-selling category in North and South America recording a +230% increase in incremental sales in Q1 2023 vs. Q1 2022.
NITR views the Americas as an important growth platform. The region, which accounts for 18% of global passengers, is also the leading market with best recovery (+106%) in terms of 2019 passenger figures and offers strong opportunities in travel retail, the company said.
NITR is developing strategic partnerships with local brands and landlords in Latin America and exploring untapped markets and emerging destinations, with an emphasis on Arrivals stores as travel recovers strongly in the region.
NITR General Manager Stewart Dryburgh commented: “The current forecast is for around +12.2% growth, but we are setting our sights higher than that, despite any price increases which are always a challenge.
“We are coming to the IAADFS Summit armed with new products – one, our new Nestlé Sustainably Sourced, a game-changer in terms of both exclusivity and sustainability – and a strategy which can only produce positive results in the confectionery and food categories. Not only do we have the products to take these categories forward, but we also have the marketing tools and platforms to support our industry partners.
“In 2024 we aim to improve our presence and positioning in the Americas as the main food supplier partner by increasing our distribution in top airports and other duty-free business models,” added NITR Global Head of Sales Jorge Hadweh.
“We are looking to extend our footprint through new spaces and increased permanent visibility in key US airports. That will come through an improved product assortment and targeted campaigns to support our products.”
He added: “NITR must be proactive to ensure we stay ahead of market trends and demands and target growth through exciting and engaging activations and geographical expansion, not just through airport stores but also through partnerships in the cruise sector and border stores.
“There is a strong opportunity to increase our share of the market in North America and we intend to make the most of it.”
Nestlé Sustainably Sourced
The travel retail-exclusive Nestlé Sustainably Sourced chocolate range, the subject of a recent Moodie Davitt makeover, will be a core focus for NITR at the Americas show. As reported, Nestlé Sustainably Sourced chocolate – supported by its ‘Does Good. Tastes Great.’ tagline – was introduced at TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes last year. Visitors can discover the Nestlé Sustainably Sourced Cocoa range at the Otis McAllister booth (201), NITR’s exclusive North American distributor.
The Nestlé Sustainably Sourced product line-up includes four 170g bars with flavours including Dark Chocolate, Blueberries, Almonds & Hazelnuts; Milk Chocolate, Raisins, Almonds & Hazelnuts; Milk Chocolate, Cranberries, Almonds & Hazelnuts; and Milk Chocolate & Hazelnuts.
Four 270g bars feature in the range, with varieties including Dark Chocolate; Dark Chocolate with Almonds; Milk Chocolate; and Milk Chocolate with Almonds.
Also included in the collection is a 426g sharing pouch, containing approximately 45 individually wrapped pieces in Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts.
Nestlé Sustainably Sourced is a direct result of Nestlé’s work with the Rainforest Alliance. The non-profit organisation works on combatting deforestation and addressing climate change while simultaneously creating economic opportunities for rural communities.
The global roll-out of Nestlé Sustainably Sourced Cocoa starts in May (in partnership with Otis McAllister in North America and other retailers for the rest of the Americas region) and will continue throughout the summer, supported by major activations in partnership with key travel retailers including ARI.
The Nestlé Sustainably Sourced Cocoa launch will be supported by a new gondola that highlights the company’s ongoing sustainability efforts.
NITR will be showcasing the travel retail-exclusive KitKat with Lotus Biscoff at the Americas show. The 122.5g pack offers a crunchy, caramelised cinnamon spread made from Lotus Biscoff biscuit sandwiched between classic KitKat wafers and covered in milk chocolate.
The company will also be exhibiting the KitKat Cookie Dough Line, comprising a 52g KitKat Cookie Dough Wafer Bar and 42g KitKat Chunky Cookie Dough expression.
In 2021, Smarties rolled out recyclable paper packaging across all its confectionery products globally. This range, alongside the Smarties Cool Creatures line, will be highlighted at the Americas show.
NITR will introduce the 400g Limited Edition Strawberry and Mint expression from After Eight.
It will also showcase the two flavours of the Nescafé Roastery Collection: Light Roast and Dark Roast. The former offers notes of caramelised honey and toasted biscuit, while the latter offers intense flavours of dark chocolate and roasted nut.
The barista-style Nescafé Azera Americano collection – in original, decaf and intense – will also be a strong focus at the Americas show.
“We are determined to show that NITR is living up to its aim to make food the #1 most-purchased category in travel retail,” Dryburgh added. “At the same time, we are very proud to present brands and products which also meet our sustainability credentials.”
Together We Grow
NITR will present new travel retail-exclusive products and shine the light on its travel retail-exclusive ‘Together We Grow’ platform. The platform, which falls under the Regeneration pillar of the VERSE model, aims to help the confectionery leader’s retail partners accelerate their sustainable programmes.
In addition, the platform is designed to communicate the already significant impact that NITR has made through its packaging projects, Cocoa Plan and Coffee Plan sourcing initiatives over the last 15 years. It is also designed to highlight Nestlé’s Income Accelerator programme, which aims to improve the livelihoods of cocoa-farming families and promote gender equality.
The Nestlé Cocoa Plan was launched in 2009 and has engaged more than 150,000 cocoa-farming families so far.
The Americas is a key market for NITR as it looks towards substantial growth in the region. ✈
