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“The investments by airport authorities and retail operators have resulted in many outstanding new travel retail shopping locations around the world.“ |
Andreas Fehr Managing Director Kraft Foods World Travel Retail |
SWITZERLAND. Kraft Foods World Travel Retail Managing Director Andreas Fehr has paid tribute to the confectionery company’s trade partners in his end-of-year message.
Describing 2007 as “another exceptional year” in an open letter to the trade, Fehr observed: “It has been another exceptional year for Kraft Foods World Travel Retail and also, I firmly believe, for the industry as a whole. There are genuine signs of a continuously growing demand for international business and leisure travel and the investments by airport authorities and retail operators have resulted in many outstanding new travel retail shopping locations around the world.
“The confectionery category, so close to our own hearts, continues to grow and our own experience this year is of a strong increase in sales. Our core brands have delivered excellent performances driven by new and innovative product concepts and further penetration in established and developing markets.”
Looking back on the year’s developments, Fehr noted the increasing regionalisation of the company’s strategy. “Because ‘one size no longer fits all’ and local needs vary so enormously, regionalisation is a key element of our new strategy and the specific needs of local demand and business practices will now be addressed more thoroughly with our new organisation structure,” he said.
During 2007 Kraft created two separate geographical regions – Europe/Americas and Middle East/Asia Pacific – to bring decision-making closer to customers and consumers. “A full understanding of local markets and regional trends is essential if we are all to benefit from a rapidly expanding travel culture,” he added.
Product highlights
At the start of the year, Kraft re-launched the premium dark chocolate Côte d’Or range which has “performed like a star”, Fehr enthused. Sales in the first six months of 2007 far exceeded expectations and it has contributed to overall category growth.
Consumer response to Côte d’Or, which coincided with a global trend for eating dark chocolate, has been “remarkable”, he said, not just in Europe, where the brand is better-known, but also in Asia and the Middle East.
2008 promises to be “even more memorable” for Kraft’s 100-year-old flagship brand Toblerone, travel retail’s number one confectionery line.
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Toblerone is a century old |
“As I am sure you have all read by now, Toblerone is 100 years young and we are planning a non-stop diary of activities which will enable retailers and travellers alike to celebrate the occasion,” Fehr said. “Many of you will have seen the Limited Edition packs and the new Fruit & Nut variant which we launched at the Tax Free World Exhibition in Cannes this autumn… we hope you liked them as much as we do.”
Turning to the importance of the company’s retail partners, Fehr concluded: “But all the developments outlined above are only one side of the equation. Our trade partnerships are much valued by all of us at Kraft Foods because we know that category development is a team exercise.
“I would like to thank the entire Kraft Foods World Travel Retail team and ALL our trade partners for their individual contributions to what has been an exceptionally strong year for our organisation.”
MORE STORIES ON KRAFT FOODS WORLD TRAVEL RETAIL
Kraft takes Toblerone birthday celebrations to TFWA – 09/10/07
Kraft buoyed by Côte d’Or relaunch – 13/07/07
Nuance’s Roger Winnewisser joins Kraft as new travel retail structure is unveiled – 27/06/07
