Perfetti van Melle (PvM) will launch new products for its key Mentos and Chupa Chups brands at TFWA World Exhibition (Mediterranean Village, P17).
The confectionery specialist will also highlight a growth plan focused on expanding the sugar category within travel retail.
Building on the success of its travel shopping-exclusive Mentos Jumborolls, PvM is introducing Mentos Mix on the Beach. The new Jumboroll consists of eight single rolls in peach/orange, strawberry/banana, and passion fruit/mango fruity drink flavours and targets the gifting and sharing markets.
The Chupa Chups CupCake is a reusable plastic baking cup holder with 24 baking cups and ten mini Chupa Chups lollipops. The product targets gifting for children and its packaging includes a recipe.
Chupa Chups Hello Kitty Markers is a line extension to the Chupa Chups Smurf Markers and will be available in 2019. PvM noted the success of the Smurf Markers in travel retail and aims to attract the interest of a broader range of young travellers with the new Hello Kitty Markers.
The 600g Mix of Minis includes Fruit-tella, Dummies, mini Chupa Chups and mini Mentos.
PvM said the sales ratio between chocolate and sugar confectionery in travel retail “continues to buck the global trend”: 87%/13% (global travel retail) compared to 55%/45% (domestic). The company said the variance in sales is because 50% of confectionery purchases at airports are intended as a gift.
“Most airports offer a wide range of chocolate gifting items while the sugar confectionery gifting selection remains much smaller. This presents both a challenge but also a great opportunity for PvM,” the company said.
PvM’s focus in travel retail remains on its Must Have assortment, a selection of Mentos and Chupa Chups products that are judged ideal for gifting.
Perfetti van Melle Brand Manager Global Travel Retail Femke van Veen said: “We want to make sure that these products are available at all major airports to all international travellers.
“Not only do we want to be present at airports, we also want to be seen by the shopper. Visibility is very important for confectionery products because 60% of purchasing decisions are made at the airport. Shoppers are killing time, and for confectionery this means that seeing is buying.”
PvM’s Must Have assortment is supported by a bespoke suitcase display and a new promotional tool, an interactive multi-touch screen that encourages consumers to play games.
The screen, which was developed for the Mentos and Chupa Chups brands, will be a feature of the PvM stand at Cannes and will roll out to travel retail locations after the TFWA event.
Van Veen said PVM is optimising its cash-till assortment this year. She said sales opportunity at the cash register is “still undervalued but has great potential”.
“75% of cash-till purchase decisions are made in-store which makes the POS very impulse driven. The only planned cash-till purchases we have been able to identify are for refreshment products such as gum and mints.
“Consumers expect to find these at the register, and plan to pick them up there. In addition to refreshment products we recommend that sweets and candies should also be available at the cash register (research shows that 48% of travellers would like to see them there). These products are very impulse driven and usually only require a small investment from the shopper which makes them the perfect fit,” van Veen added.
As reported, PvM has introduced a new e-learning training course to help travel retail sales staff get to know the company and its brands.
The course will be highlighted on PvM’s mutli-touch screen at Cannes. Van Veen said PvM regards the e-learning system as “an essential tool for retailers moving forwards”.
