Integrated design and marketing group WEPURPLE will host a series of Sample2Skin (S2S) sessions during the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes (27 September – 1 October).
Led by WEPURPLE Creative Director Caroline Colin, the 15-minute, complimentary Sample2Skin sessions will demonstrate how beauty, travel and wider lifestyle trends can be translated into compelling sampling experiences in travel retail.
WEPURPLE cited recent data from Generation Research, which valued the global duty-free and travel retail market at US$75.9 billion in 2025, with beauty representing 32.2%, or around US$24.4 billion.
According to m1nd-set research cited by the agency, nearly one in three travel retail shoppers worldwide now make impulse purchases, compared with just over one in five in 2019.
Based on these insights, WEPURPLE estimates that one-third of the global travel retail beauty market (around US$8 billion) could potentially be influenced by impulse purchasing.
Eachs ession will be centred on one of four themes: Subversive Beauty, Food as Vibe and Gettting Swicy. These will be followed with immersive sampling experiences.
Subversive Beauty is focused on defiant aesthetics that challenge conventional beauty norms, while Food as a Vibe explores the convergence of beauty and food through sensory experiences. Finally, Getting Swicy is centred on unexpected combinations and contrasts such as sweet and spicy pairings.
WEPURPLE said the trend cuts across regions and key demographic groups, including gender, age and travel purpose.
Colin commented: “We’re living through a remarkable moment in travel retail. Impulse purchasing is surging, and that tells us that travellers are open, curious and ready to discover. The question is whether beauty brands are ready to meet them. With nearly one in three shoppers now making spontaneous purchases, the sampling moment has never been more powerful or more consequential.
“Our Sample2Skin Sessions at TFWA World Exhibition & Conference reflect our belief that beauty brands can’t afford to treat sampling as an afterthought. The trends reshaping how consumers express themselves, care for their skin and connect with fragrance are moving fast, and they’re being driven by forces well beyond the beauty aisle – from wellness culture to global creative movements.
“The brands who stay on top of these trends are those who will triumph in travel retail.”
The Sample2Skin sessions form part of the agency’s wider ‘WEPURPLE the World’ initiative. Click here to schedule a session. ✈
