Mondelez World Travel Retail (WTR) is expanding on the growing trend of destination-themed products in travel retail with new packaging and in-store activations from Toblerone.

From a contemporary sleeve redesign for the 360g bar and expanding on location availability, to retail furniture with a local flavour, Toblerone is adopting a holistic approach to sense of place.

In 2015, the brand introduced destination sleeves for the 360g bar. This year, the new-look sleeves have been extended to 30 locations in the channel.

Earlier this year, Mondelez WTR launched a Dubai-specific Toblerone Tiny Milk 272g bag which has quickly become the company’s best-selling product and one of the category’s growth-drivers in Dubai. Building on this success, the company is rolling out destination-specific bags for London and Spain.

It is also launching destination-themed in-store activations to engage travellers, as well as destination-specific furniture highlighting local elements. In Qatar, Toblerone sleeved golden bar sales doubled in November thanks to the redesigned sleeves and increased exposure.

MAKING MEMORIES

According to research undertaken by Mondelez WTR, the Sense of Place trend targets the ‘memory’ segment in confectionery, which at around 15% of the total market is the equivalent of half a billion US dollars (Total confectionery segment Retail Sales Value by a major global retailer, FY 2015).

Studies have revealed that buying chocolate in travel retail as a memento of a trip is shoppers’ second biggest motivator to purchase, with 30% of confectionery buyers saying so (Travel Retail Catalyst Report 2018: Global Traveller Report).

A further three out of 10 airport travellers shop to remember their trip through the products they purchase (Travel Retail Catalyst Report 2018: Global Traveller Report) emphasising the importance of leveraging this trend to convert shoppers.

Mondelez WTR Category Marketing Manager, Irina Tarabanko said: “At Mondelez World Travel Retail, we’re constantly looking for fresh ways to engage travellers and reach them where it matters most — their hearts. Travellers want to remember their trips, to relive the experience in a way that speaks to them. By pairing a widely loved brand like Toblerone with destination-specific themes, we’re creating the sweet souvenir opportunities that travellers are so clearly looking for.”

She added: “Recognising this great opportunity and expanding the highly successful sense of place trend with these fresh initiatives from Toblerone further emphasises Mondelez WTR’s commitment to driving more shoppers, more spend, more often, in line with our ‘Delighting Travellers’ category vision.”