Nordic distributor Haugen-Gruppen has added healthy snack line Ration from Danish wellness food producer Feel Good Company to its travel retail portfolio as both businesses step up their focus in the channel.
Ration is already listed inflight and in selected airports with Gebr. Heinemann. The brand aims to increase its network through further airport and airline listings, in travel-related food & beverage outlets, and in border and ferry stores. Ration’s strategy targets the re-opening of the travel market and an increased focus on healthy products.
“One day in a hopefully near future we will travel again, join meetings and reestablish our social life with friends and family,” said Haugen-Gruppen AS Denmark Managing Director Henrik Andersen. “In Haugen-Gruppen we want to be ready for the next step and in early 2020 (before the pandemic) we made a strategic decision to enter the travel retail market.
“Towards the end of 2020 and with a strong belief in a rebuilding of this strategically important channel, we recruited Britt Korsholm in order to build a travel retail business unit in Haugen-Gruppen Nordic – entering into agreements with brands and building an organisation as needed from the Danish office. Britt Korsholm has extensive experience as a distributor in travel retail in helping brands grow.”
Korsholm joined the company from Conaxess Trade Denmark where, as Commercial Manager Travel Retail, she collaborated with strong confectionery partners including Nestlé, Ferrero, Perfetti Van Melle and Haribo to drive the brands in the Nordic market.
Feel Good Company Co-founder and CEO Jesper Schmith Kampmann said that Ration “wants to be present where health-conscious consumers move, where there is often a need for an easy and quick meal.
“Pre-packaged food strengthens the sense of security for travellers. Instead of sitting down at a restaurant at the airport, or in the cafeteria on the ferry, we believe that far more travellers will prioritise a healthy, safe and transportable snack,” he said.
Future positive, future healthyFeel Good Company was created in January 2016 with a mission to create the “snack of the future”. Ration bars, which have ‘The Better Bite’ and ‘Fuel for Body & Mind’ as taglines, are based on New Nordic Nutrition recommendations.
The snacks contain a whole apple, whole oat kernels as well as sunflower kernels, along with flax seeds, to offer a low glycemic index, a high content of fibre and Omega-3 fatty acids. They are 100% natural, GMO and gluten-free, suitable for vegetarians and without added salt. Seven flavours of Ration bars are available: apple & cinnamon, apple & rhubarb, apple, ginger & mild chili, apple, beetroot, carrot & lemon, mango & passion fruit, mint & lime and newcomer blueberry & blackcurrant. A 55g Ration snack bar is exclusive to travel retail, with a RRP of €2.95. |
Korsholm commented: “We are very pleased to be able to add Ration to the portfolio, as it is spot-on in terms of the trend of healthier snacks, as well as the increasing focus on hygiene and the wrapping of meals as a result of the pandemic.
“We are proud of this partnership and look forward to working with the team at Feel Good Company to develop and build on the current position with a long-term strategy to grow Ration in travel retail.”
Schmith Kampmann noted the ideal timing of the long-term distribution collaboration with Haugen-Gruppen.
“Just before a slow reopening of the world and travel retail, we can build on the platform we had already built in the channel before COVID-19,” he said.
“It has always been a dedicated goal for Feel Good Company to become strong in travel retail, and, with a new strong partner in place, I feel we are really well equipped to achieve our goals.”
