FRANCE. In our new video series ‘Moodie Davitt Video View’, we bring you exclusive on-the-ground coverage from the most innovative brands in travel retail straight from the industry’s most important events.
In this edition, The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan-Gillies catches up with Mondelez World Travel Retail (WTR) Managing Director Jaya Singh to discuss the confectionery giant’s new launches, its innovative shop-in-shop concept in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the significance of enhancing the confectionery consumer experience.
Mondelez WTR is not only known for its diverse array of confectionery products and novelties, but its constant innovation in the airport shopping experience.
Its latest innovation is its first confectionery boutique-style shop-in-shop in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, launched in partnership with Schiphol Airport Retail and Gebr. Heinemann.
The 62 sq m shop-in-shop concept opened on 25 May and offers the company’s wide portfolio of confectionery brands including Toblerone, Oreo and Milka.
Commenting on the shop-in-shop Singh said: “That was a ground-breaking initiative for us and was planned more than three years ago with our airport and retail partners. We’re particularly pleased about it because we see that as an example of what the Trinity in motion and in sync can execute for the benefit of the shoppers.
“It’s a fantastic shop-in-shop concept, because it is not static. It’s about engagement, digitalisation and personalisation. We’ve seen the initial data, which tells us that dwell time and spend has increased significantly, bringing in double-digit growth that benefits all members of the Trinity.
“We need to remember that it’s all about delivering memorable experiences that can delight the travellers and give them a reason to experience the higher values that we’ve been creating.”
The company had a strong presence at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes last week where it showcased its core brand portfolio and launched Toblerone Pralines.
Singh said: “We are the number one snacking company in the world and this stand represents all our brands in our winning portfolio. The industry has gone through a gut-wrenching time and the momentum that has picked up since last year has increased. People are boorish, confidence is high and there are many good reasons to be confident.”
Singh said that these product launches were designed to add incremental value to the premium gifting and sharing segment that will drive the overall category growth. “Our purpose has always been to be the champions of the confectionery category.
“What we mean by that is understanding the traffic dynamics, driving penetration, conversion and spend. It’s not a difficult formula when you drill down to the details of that there’s a lot of things to consider under each of those pillars.
“We captured that in our vision house, which is about leveraging the winning portfolio, creating memorable experiences for the shopper, the traveller, the customer and ourselves, therefore elevating awareness. At the end of the day, that drives more shoppers and more spend more often, increasing the overall pie for the industry.”
Looking ahead, Mondelez World Travel Retail seeks to further strengthen its position as the category leader and share its growth with industry partners and stakeholders.
Singh said: “Our goal is to continue to grow the pie for everybody. We don’t all win when somebody else does not win. That’s super clear and that’s our mission and our role as leaders. In terms of the portfolio agenda, our mission is super clear and that is to focus on the top-selling brands and products that people want. Rather than go for quantity, we go for quality.
“Obviously, it is important that we keep in mind that the industry is still recovering and all that facilitated recovery really is about driving the total value pie. What I mean by that is companies like us have to be constantly innovating when it comes to unique experiences.
“We don’t just sell brands or products. We sell dreams. We sell experiences.” ✈
