In this guest article, Victorinox Head of Global Channels Thomas Bodenmann reflects on how the lifestyle company has laid the foundations for recovery this year, and assesses its ambitions for 2022.
As we approach the end of 2021 and reflect on the year’s events, we can all be thankful for the collaboration and team spirit shown by the travel retail industry. From back office staff to those on the shop floor, everybody should be proud of their contribution this year.
Despite there being some inevitable obstacles to navigate, there have been many positives to take from 2021 – both on an industry and company level – that we should celebrate. After all, we don’t grow when things are easy; we grow when we face challenges.
Travel retail superstars
We cannot end this year without paying tribute to those on the front line – the real heroes and heroines of our industry. Travel retail sales staff have helped keep our industry going throughout the most profound and sustained crisis it has ever faced. It was touching to see the dedication of these people recognised by The Moodie Davitt Report in the Travel Retail Superstars Awards.
Victorinox has witnessed first-hand just how hard sales staff have worked this year and we were delighted to see three people with whom we work very closely awarded Star Team Americas: Shop Floor – Customer Facing and Star Individual Americas: Shop Floor – Customer Facing. Congratulations once again to Carol Escobar and Andrezza Hotta of Shopping China and Alejandro Cordella of Dufry.
New opportunities, new openings
The pandemic accelerated a shift that was already progressing at pace. Consumers are now increasingly aligning themselves with brands which reflect their lifestyle choices, are purpose-driven, and which are more in tune with trends such as wellness and wellbeing. This shift has presented opportunities for lifestyle fashion & accessories brands like Victorinox to make their presence felt in new channels and markets within travel retail.
In July, we made our cruise industry debut onboard the Crystal Endeavor ship in partnership with Starboard Cruise Services. We’ve gained additional space in key Latin American airports and border stores and expanded our footprint in Asia Pacific to new locations including the impressive Hainan Tourism Duty Free Shopping Complex. In October the travel retail team travelled to TFWA World Exhibition, where it was fantastic to reconnect with customers and have many positive conversations.
On a company level, it has been heartening to see Victorinox’s unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability, demonstrated by the opening of our new state-of-the-art distribution centre in Ibach, Switzerland.
Commitment to product development
Throughout the entire pandemic, we have remained focused on building Victorinox’s positioning as a premium multicategory lifestyle brand through new product launches in the different categories. Our dedication to innovating is paying off and we are seeing a strong recovery.
Watches – Watches has been a consistently high-performing category for Victorinox over the years in travel retail and domestic markets. This year, our watches offer was boosted by FieldForce Classic GMT – an exclusive and stylish timepiece with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) dial and Super-LumiNova – and five new models in the Maverick collection of sporty, diving watches.
Swiss Army Knife – The colourful new Classic Colors collection of multitools, pouches and cases was an exciting new addition to our iconic product line and has proved popular with younger consumers. The collection is now listed in over 20 points of sale in Europe travel retail and catches the eye of consumers with its vibrant displays.
Fragrance – 2021 has been a strong year for Victorinox’s fragrance business following the relaunch of our fragrances at the end of 2020. We topped and tailed the year with two key feminine fragrance launches, Forget Me Not and First Snow, and fragrance sales have recorded double-digit growth in 2021.
Travel Gear –Despite a challenging year for the luggage industry, we’ve remained committed to the category and have developed products that elevate the packing experience for consumers. Under our ‘Packed with Possibilities’ concept that brings to life all the key features, materials and Swiss engineering that go into our products, we’ve introduced the Altius Alox and Architecture Urban2 collections. Both meet the new consumer needs of personal security, improved hygiene and personalisation.
2022 and beyond
Having built a solid foundation for next year, we’ll look to continue strengthening our position as a premium lifestyle brand in travel retail.
We’ll be kicking off 2022 with an exciting new Travel Gear launch which marks the introduction of a pioneering new sustainability standard. Spectra 3.0 is the first Victorinox suitcase range made of a recycled, next-generation polycarbonate shell material. 2022 also marks the 125th anniversary of the Swiss Army Knife – a key milestone for the company which will be celebrated appropriately. Finally, there will be a lot of activity around our watches and fragrance business too, so stay tuned for more.
Regionally speaking, our efforts will be focused on North America which is currently a blank canvas in travel retail. When the Victorinox travel retail team was created six years ago, the vision was to develop the brand in Europe, Asia and Latin America travel retail. Having successfully established a presence in these three regions by implementing various retail concepts in key locations, we are looking to replicate this model in North America.
On reflection, while many aspects of travel retail stood still in 2021, other parts have moved forward at pace. It has been encouraging to see the industry unite and put real effort into driving change in areas such as sustainability and digital innovation. How we rise to a challenge is what defines us, and I am thankful for the support and resilience my team and our partners have shown while the industry has reactivated.
*The Moodie Davitt Report recently launched a new monthly eNewsletter series that offers a curated selection of stories focused on the lifestyle theme and associated categories in travel retail and beyond. We do so in association with multi-category luxury goods company Victorinox. As with all Moodie Davitt Report media, Lifestyle Curated is free of charge. If you would like to be added to its mailing list (or to those for any other Moodie Davitt titles), please click here.
