Time Products (UK) has reported a positive year for its Sekonda brand, marked by substantial growth in travel retail and the development of new opportunities.
Time Products (UK) Head of International Travel Myalee Sofield highlighted the brand’s strategic focus on travel retail growth, particularly in the cruise sector, which has been a key area of success.
Sofield said: “We are seeing double-digit growth year-on-year in some of our travel channels, with the overall international business coming back stronger than ever, compared to pre-pandemic levels.”
Inflight and cruise have emerged as the brand’s fastest-growing sectors in 2024.
Sofield added: “We have seen very strong sales with key inflight partners as well as partners that have re-started their inflight business post-COVID. Cruise has also certainly been a focus for us, with the launch of our cruise-specific display concept that has resulted in a lot of interest from many partners within the industry.”
Through its close collaboration with its airport partners, Sekonda has focused on maintaining high product execution standards, tackling operational challenges and enhancing training programmes, the company noted.
Sofield said: “Not all training can be done in person, but we have developed bite-size training modules which retailers can access digitally.”
This year, the company has established new partnerships and secured duty-free listings with several retailers. These include Norwegian Cruise Lines and Avolta in Europe and the US; and Hyderabad Duty Free (GMR) in India; Egyptair Duty Free; Central Duty Free in Brazil; and Flemingo Duty Free in Chennai and Sri Lanka.
On airlines, Sekonda has also debuted on KrisShop for Singapore Airlines and Scoot, Vietnam Airlines via Travel to Buy, and Emirates.
The company noted standout performance for the brand within UK inflight routes and duty-free markets.
Sofield said: “We have worked closely with existing partners to grow range representation, and we have seen several opportunities in India and the Middle East also come through.”
New product offers
This year, Sekonda rolled out new retail towers featuring adaptable layouts tailored for its duty-free partners.
Sofield said: “We have had some great feedback from our retail partners on our new display units. We will continue to evolve our travel retail displays to best suit the retail environment and most importantly for travellers looking for inspiration.”
In addition to showcasing its collections at the TFWA Asia Pacific and TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, the brand’s new product offerings have resulted in an expanded range with key retail partners.
Sofield said: “We are seeing more customers buy into our Smart Watch ranges; our bestselling ladies ranges Monica and Taylor are working very well for us; plus we have developed a more flexible approach with our watch and jewellery ranges to create travel exclusives for our partners which create point of difference conversations.”
The company has also added new staff members to its international travel team this year. Sofield commented: “We are delighted to have welcomed Emma Finch, Louise Stevenson and Cleona Henderson to Time Products this year. Together they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we are looking forward to seeing what we can achieve with our expanded and dedicated travel team in 2025.” ✈
