Henkell Freixenet targets growth with brand activations and GTR exclusives

By Faye Bartle |

Henkell Freixenet stand in Cannes 2021.

Henkell Freixenet is exhibiting in the Blue Village at stand Blue F11.

Henkell Freixenet Global Export is taking a targeted approach to growing its global travel retail (GTR) presence on the back on positive 2021 financial results, with an exciting line-up of new products and engaging channel activations to talk about at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes next week (3-6 October).

The company (which is exhibiting in the Blue Village at stand Blue F11) closed the 2021 fiscal year with a sales increase of 11% to €1,326mn (incl. excise taxes).

GTR results were informed by a ‘strong bounce back of sales’ via existing business and new business with ferries and cruiseliners.

While airport sales were not yet back to pre-pandemic levels, the GTR division saw increases from its inflight business, especially in Europe and the US last summer. Strong sales were noted for the smaller Piccolo bottle format.

Overall, Henkell Freixenet has the lion’s market share (27.4%) of the sparkling wine category in GTR (Source: IWSR, sparkling wine incl. champagne).

“As we target further growth in the sparkling wine category, the Henkell Freixenet Group will stronger engage in the GTR channels and showcase our global icon brands such as Freixenet, Henkell and Mionetto,” said Sandra Janetzki, Senior Vice President at Henkell Freixenet Global Export.

“GTR is a strategic focus and a further opportunity to grow brand presence in global markets.”

Schloss Johannisberg range.

The Schloss Johannisberg range.

The company has made a return to airport activations this year, with seasonal promotions for its core GTR brands Mionetto, Henkell, Freixenet, as well as its premium Riesling Wine Estate Schloss Johannisberg

“Highlights of 2022 were our Mionetto Prosecco tasting promotion in April, at the Air One launch event of Urban-Air Port in the UK and a Henkell tasting bar promotion in Berlin’s T2 in partnership with Heinemann Duty Free & Travel Value Shop during June and July,” said Janetzki.

You can read more about the Berlin Airport pop-up in partnership with Gebr. Heinemann in our previous report.

“We are eager to continue these successes with more core brand / core airport activations at holiday times to capitalise on increased PAX,” said Janetzki.

“‘Liquid to lips’ and the enhanced consumer knowledge of sparkling wine products is an important strategy for our brands’ growth in GTR.”

Segura Viudas Organic Brut.

Segura Viudas Organic Brut.

During the remainder of 2022 and into 2023, the company is planning several in-store activations with backwall advertisements.

These will take place in European airports in Heinemann stores for strategic brands Henkell, Freixenet as well as Schloss Johannisberg, Pott Rum and Wodka Gorbatschow.

In addition, a number of Henkell Freixenet brands returned to airline menus in 2022 and 2021.

As previously reported, at this year’s TFWA World Exhibition, the company will showcase its latest GTR exclusives as well as premium products from the Henkell Freixenet House of Brands.

These include: Mionetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Brut – a brand new product within the recently updated Luxury Collection; Schloss Johannisberg wines; the 2023 relaunch of Freixenet Elyssia Cava; and the Pott Eierlikör on Rum Base.

Sustainable wine making is also in the spotlight with the Segura Viudas premium Cava brand, which follows strict standards and care for sustainability in order to protect the land in the Penedés region where its vineyards are located.

Choices in the no and low alcohol brand portfolio include Freixenet Alcohol-Free, Henkell Alcohol-Free and Henkell Alcohol- Free Rosé, Mionetto 0.0%.

“We see it as a category with consumer interest growing in this type of product year-on- year,” says Janetzki.

“Our brands Mionetto, Henkell and Freixenet include great tasting alcohol-free products that the company believes will see increased consumer demand for the GTR channel.”

Henkell & Co has earned two finalist nods in the sold-out Global Travel Retail Awards in the Best Win Product category for its Mionetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Brut and Segura Viudas Organic Brut.

Henkell Freixenet is the sparkling wine, wine and spirits division of Geschwister Oetker Beteiligungen KG.

Asia & Pacific

Asia Pacific Travel Retail Awards: The Winners

TRBusiness and m1nd-set can today (13 March) reveal the winners of the 2024 Travel Retail...

The Americas

Details emerge of JFK T1 commercial programme and duty free tender

Qualified travel retail operators are being invited to participate in a request for proposals...

International

JCDecaux research offers major passenger insights

New research insights from Ipsos UK compiled for JCDecaux provide a revised outlook of air...

image description

In the Magazine

TRBusiness Magazine is free to access. Read the latest issue now.

E-mail this link to a friend