Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) says it will ‘underline its commitment to innovation and leading the way in the confectionery category’ with a high-profile showcase of its latest products at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes next month (30 September-04 October).

As TRBusiness reported earlier this year, NITR announced its 10 in 10 ambition to double the size of the confectionery and fine foods category to $10bn in the next 10 years.

NITR says innovation and new product development are at the very heart of this drive and is therefore excited to unveil new additions to its KitKat and Nestlé Swiss brands, an important new sustainability initiative with Smarties and the debut of Baci.

All the new releases are in line with NITR’s plan to drive growth built upon SOUL – Story, Occasion, Unique and Local.

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

General Manager Stewart Dryburgh said: “Our ground-breaking 10 in 10 plan is dedicated to leading the way in the confectionery and fine food category.

Gold fingers: Nestlé KitKat’s new caramelised chocolate treat.

“This growth will require innovation across our great brands. In Cannes we are delighted to be bringing to the market both new and exciting products for shoppers and retailers, but also important new initiatives and ideas to ensure that our business is not just growing, but also sustainable for the planet.”

Visitors to the high-profile NITR stand in Cannes (Beach Village 1, Beach 07) will be introduced to the travel retail exclusive KitKat Gold Traveler’s Limited Edition. This premium-sampling proposition offers the travelling shopper the chance to ‘get in on the buzz’ and sample the new KitKat Gold bars.

NITR will extend its Nestlé Swiss Indulgent Tablet range with the release of Nestlé Swiss Dark Blueberry 170g.

The special gold pack – set to hit the market in Q2 2020 – contains three four-finger Gold KitKat bars with a caramelised flavour in a snack and sharing format.

Last year NITR launched, exclusively to travel retail, the Nestlé Swiss Indulgent tablet range to ‘great acclaim’, it insists.

NEW FROM NESTLE SWISS

“The combination of perfectly crafted Swiss chocolate in a luxury package and a travel retail exclusive brand has created a multi-layered and artisanal experience for shoppers seeking both heritage and uniqueness in the market today,” adds NITR.

Set to launch in March 2020, NITR will extend its Nestlé Swiss Indulgent Tablet range with the release of Nestlé Swiss Dark Blueberry 170g, which combines dark Swiss chocolate with blueberry, almonds and hazelnuts.

Aside from its product portfolio, sustainability will be a key talking point for NITR in Cannes this year.

“About 400m tonnes of plastic are produced every year and there are already 270,000 tonnes of plastic waste floating in our oceans,” says Nestlé.

“Nestlé recognises that growth cannot come at the expense of the planet and is joining the fight to stop plastic waste from polluting the Earth. That is why the company has pledged to make 100% of its single use plastic recyclable or reusable by 2025.”

NEW PACKAGING 

NITR will introduce Italian chocolate brand, Baci to the travel retail market.

NITR says it is working to develop new packaging for the future of the industry and help drive new behaviour and understanding among its staff, customers, and the ‘decision makers of tomorrow’.

As part of this sustainability drive, Nestlé has pledged to remove all single use plastic from its Smarties range by the end of 2020.

Lastly, in Cannes, NITR will introduce Italian chocolate brand, Baci to the travel retail market. Created in 1922, the brand will make its debut with five different iterations comprising Baci’s Perugnia, the Original Dark Chocolate Truffles Bag; The Baci Perugnia Original Dark Chocolate Truffles Bijou box; the Baci Perugnia Milk Chocolate Truffles Bijou box and the Baci Perugnia Extra Dark 70% Chocolate Truffles Bijou box.

To round out the range, NITR has launched the Baci Perugnia Original Dark Chocolate Truffles Box, which contains 18 pieces of chocolate, each of which conceals a ‘love note’.

NITR will take an opportunity in Cannes to show off its merchandising solutions which have been rolled out across travel retail this year. The iconic KitKat bus for example, now in most major airports across the world, drives ‘story and localness’, says NITR, to help further the category.

KitKat Gold will appear alongside KitKat Iconic range on the merchandising units to highlight its ‘unique and limited edition nature whilst adding to and enhancing the core range’.

In addition, NITR will be showcasing the Smarties FSU (free-standing unit) and After Eight Tower for its 400g pack, along with a new design FSU and a bold and exciting new activation program for Nestlé Swiss.