Nestlé International Travel Retail (ITR) has teamed up with Dufry to launch its wellness brand Solgar into the channel through the Mind. Body. Soul. shop-in-shop retail concept at Athens and Zurich airports.

Solgar Health and Wellness is a vitamins, minerals, herbals and supplements (VMHS) brand offering more than 300 products. Active in more than 60 countries, a range has been selected to meet the needs of travelling consumers, focusing on immunity, energy, sleep, and daily well-being.

Products in the launch range include multivitamin Formula VM-2000 and trademarked advanced formula Ester C Plus Immune Complex.

The move has been hailed as a “significant step forward” in Nestlé ITR’s ambition to provide air passengers with quality food and wellness options. 

The company’s VHMS strategy is being delivered through the VERSE model, which spans Value, Engagement, Regeneration, Sense of Place and Execution.

The trial started at Level 1, Zurich Airport on 11 April, and in the Extra-Schengen terminal at Athens airport on 30 April. The two locations are part of 20 globally that Dufry uses as “global innovation stores” to test new products.

While Solgar is the first Nestlé wellness brand to be trialled in the channel, the company also owns Vital Proteins, Garden of Life and Natures Body, all of which are seen as offering potential fo travellers. 

Data-led trial

The trial, which includes Solgar, comes as a result of research from travel retail agency m1nd-set, which showed that health and wellness products appealed to almost 50% of travellers across key demographics.

Identified as a growth opportunity, the category will appeal to consumers keen to address the emotional, physical and mental impacts of travel on health. 

Working in collaboration with Dufry, Nestlé ITR has created merchandising to draw attention to the different need states to make selection easy for shoppers.

A digital product selector tool is built into the unit to guide the consumer into making the right product choice based on their specific needs. 

“There is compelling evidence that VMHS products can offer huge support and benefits for travellers,” says Nestlé Global Marketing Manager Aura Sanchez. 

“These range from supporting immunity and the digestive system when visiting different countries to helping with sleep issues, balancing and boosting energy levels, and maintaining nutritional balance during dietary changes.” 

Phrederika Miltiadou, Dufry Global Category Manager – Food, added: “Dufry works closely with its brand partners, constantly seeking to implement innovation that meets the changing needs and wants of the global travel retail shopper.  

“Our alignment with the Nestlé VERSE model to drive growth in the wider food category, recruiting new consumers, and delighting our existing loyal customers has allowed us to partner on a number of initiatives beginning with Coffee in travel retail last year. 

“This year, as part of our aim to deliver a Health and Well-being range, including vitamins, minerals, herbals and supplements, we have benefitted from Nestle Health Science division’s in-depth category knowledge, which has helped us to deliver a comprehensive range of products that address key traveller need states. 

“We are currently trialling this in both our core duty free store in Athens, and our pioneering Mind. Body. Soul. concept at Zurich airport, and the retail executions by our store teams in both these locations have been exceptional.”

A ‘pivotal’ wellness role

Andrea Traficante, Head of Business Intelligence, VMHS International, commented: “Since its foundation in 2011, Nestlé Health Science has always been committed to help people live their healthiest lives.

“When the opportunity to enter in a new channel partnering with NITR and Dufry arose, we immediately saw that as the perfect addition to our presence. 

“Solgar will be the first of Nestlé Health Science’s VMHS brands to be available to airport passengers in Zurich and Athens, however we are confident that in the future, more of our globally-trusted brands will play a pivotal role in the wellness journey of airport passengers from around the world.”

Sanchez continued: “At Nestlé ITR we are committed to identifying these market opportunities and working with our retail partners to meet travellers’ needs and in so doing, further drive industry growth.

“With leading travel experience player, Dufry, we have a shared ambition to build the wider food category within travel retail and we have enjoyed developing our partnership further with this VMHS project. 

“We’re incredibly grateful for their support and are confident that this is just the start of a new growth sector for our channel.”