Travel retail team Blue describes itself as a business development powerhouse. Its ‘triple-capability’ services include consulting, agency and distribution across travel retail, domestic retail and online retail.
And it is these diverse capabilities, combined with a partner portfolio that spans fine food, tech, beauty, accessories, personal protective equipment (PPE) and business intelligence, which Blue aims to highlight at the upcoming Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
A Silver Partner, Blue said the Expo offers the team a “ground-breaking environment” to engage with stakeholders and to drive commercial opportunities in close cooperation with business partners.
Blue’s business partners include GreyLime, Brightstar, Zikko, Intelligent Track Systems, Cloudz, Wet Wipe, ChõraClean, BioMiracle, Zippo, glo-UV, Kakao, Open Range and others. “Common to all of them,” the Blue team says, “is their extraordinary approach, their passion for challenging the status quo”. |
Blue’s Expo team includes Karl Walter, Jacob Oppenheim, David Tillman, Bart Collins and Thomas Henningsen.
“Blue is a people-driven business accelerator, committed to putting the wind in the sails of our clients and business partners,” Tillman said.
“We are excited to showcase our triple capabilities – consulting, distribution and agency – under one roof, and across three key channels. Marrying these three business models with the three retail channels empowers us to help business partners far beyond travel retail. We have experienced with our partners how these cross-overs learn from, and feed off, each other.
“Simply put we are a conduit where 1+1+1=4,” he added.
“Blue is, and has always been, about challenging the status quo: expanding horizons beyond geographical, retail channel and business model boundaries” – Blue Team Member Bart Collins
Blue equates the challenging COVID-related environment to “great opportunities”.
“It encourages us to constantly adapt,” Collins said. “That’s why we welcome teammates and business partners from all walks of life. It is this diversity, inclusiveness and optimism that fuel our business development capabilities.
“Blue is, and has always been, about challenging the status quo: expanding horizons beyond geographical, retail channel and business model boundaries.
“As committed cross-channel trailblazers, we are always looking for new synergies that benefit our business partners during these extraordinary times. As change is the only constant, we help business partners navigate different retail channels, geography and business models pending on what their needs are.”
“We engage extraordinary business partners only,” Collins said. “From start-ups, scale-ups to market leaders, we welcome business partners who bring along extra dimensions in terms of product benefits, branding, company culture, etc. With every business partner we further develop their sustainable competitive advantages. Our mission is to tap into these advantages and reinforce these using our global travel retail experience and expertise.”
“We help companies with powerful CSR agendas and continue encouraging those who are yet to get onboard. To us sustainability extends beyond green production and recycling; it embraces principles such as fair trade, equal rights and supporting local communities”
The key, Oppenheim believes, is in the execution; focusing on products and services that consumers appreciate and love and by anticipating their needs and desires.
Considering new market trends in travel retail, the Blue team said sustainability remains “an overarching theme”.
“We help companies with powerful CSR agendas and continue encouraging those who are yet to get onboard. To us sustainability extends beyond green production and recycling; it embraces principles such as fair trade, equal rights and supporting local communities.
“Our friends at Simply Chocolate are a shining beacon for this. Their all-natural chocolate, powered by a holistic CSR agenda, inspires us to be a force for good.”
Oppenheim said PPE continues to play a critical role as the world continues to adapt to COVID-19 outbreaks. “It’s the ‘new normal’ if you like.”
Blue has teamed up with Wet Wipe and ChõraClean in Denmark and BioMiracle in the US to offer a full range of PPE products. The Blue portfolio includes foam and gel sanitisers, sprays and wipes for surfaces and smart phones, along with fog machines for use in confined spaces, stores, restaurant and airports.
The products, Blue said, kill 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19.
Blue said the consumer tech category continues to deliver promising results. Its brand and product line-up includes GreyLime’s biodegradable smart phone covers and power banks and glo-UV’s compact containers with built-in UV-C light to disinfect face masks.
The Zikko massage gun is designed to increase blood flow and accelerate muscle recovery while Zippo presents an innovative pocket heater. Clöudz offers an extensive range, from neck pillows and world traveller adapters to RFID protection wallets and Brightstar’s tech and gadgets portfolio “takes Blue to the next level in the category”.
Blue also focuses on snacking and food. “Today’s food is so much more than just great tasting calories. Naturally-sourced organic fruit and nut bars like Rawbite, are spearheading new food trends and categories,” Collins said. He describes premium destination Kakao chocolate and Open Range’s natural snacks as “equally promising”.
“All of these foods are tailor-made for the health conscious road warriors who do not want to compromise on nutrition, quality nor taste while on the go.”
Blue underlined the growing role of hybrid business intelligence in travel retail. “Today, accessing information is the easy part,” Walter said. “The abundance of data and research is overwhelming but knowing what research to marry along with how and when to deploy insights is mission critical.”
As reported, Blue has teamed up with “unique and state-of-the-art” ITS – Intelligent Track Systems of Denmark. ITS has launched a digital personal assistant for use by air travellers as an information gateway between check-in and departure gates. A major part of the system’s aim is to increase in-airport retail spend.
“Massive changes lie ahead of us. Change is the only constant, the only way forward is to adapt and evolve”
Blue also noted the work of market research agency M1nd-set. “More than ever,” Henningsen said, “there is a need to access unprecedented airport shopping data enabling operators and retailers to positively impact travellers’ satisfaction and spend.”
He also emphasised the importance of ecommerce in travel retail. Blue offers its business partners fully integrated webshops, warehousing, drop shipments including deliveries and returns. It helps source products and brands to webshops to broaden scope and increase sales potential.
On and off-line masterclasses are tailor-made for each of Blue’s business partners. “We want to give partners the tools, insights and capabilities to further develop their businesses,” Henningsen added.
“During these masterclasses we bring together a panel of specialists. From industry opinion leaders, leading researchers, entrepreneurs to venture capitalists and fund raisers, we tailor each panel to these needs of our partners helping them access best practice, unique learnings and commercial opportunities.”
“We challenge every single aspect of Blue’s business model, operating model and business partner portfolio. No stones will be left unturned as we continue to challenge Blue’s status quo during these unprecedented times”
“Massive changes lie ahead of us,” said Walter. “Change is the only constant, the only way forward is to adapt and evolve.
“We challenge every single aspect of Blue’s business model, operating model and business partner portfolio. No stones will be left unturned as we continue to challenge Blue’s status quo during these unprecedented times.”
