Swiss herbal confectionery specialist Ricola, tells TRBusiness that it is expecting to exceed sales it registered for travel retail in 2019 – the company’s previous best performance – by an impressive 50%.

 

Ricola maintains that its travel retail resurgence continues apace, fuelled by new listings, rising passenger numbers, and strong performances from its impulse assortments.

 

“2022 has been the best year in history for Ricola in travel retail,” confirmed Andreas Reckart, Head of Travel Retail for Ricola AG.

 

“And we have many reasons to be confident that 2023 will bring a continuation of this outstanding performance. We enjoyed an excellent week at this year’s TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, with more meetings than ever before, and many exciting new prospects to pursue.

 

“Certain challenges remain for everyone – supply chain issues, inflation, the war in Ukraine – but we see plenty of potential, both in terms of new customers and the expansion of existing accounts.”

 

Ricola presented its new packaging upgrades to customers at this year’s Cannes show.

 

The new designs, which intend to reflect the brand’s more contemporary positioning, showcase its nature-based attributes, and cement its stand-out shelf appeal, are being rolled out to travel retail doors from Q4.

 

“We received a very positive response to our new look from all our key clients,” Reckart noted, “especially for the new multipack tin designs. Many new retailers are now ready to discuss listings, proof that our new design strategy is already paying off.”

 

Reckart said that the company continues to perform strongly in European travel retail locations, aided by the recovery of post-pandemic airport traffic.

 

He also said that he sees lots more opportunity in the region, whilst being upbeat about prospects in the Middle East and Latin America.

 

“Asia, including China, remains a core market for our longer-term growth,” he added. “Thanks to our appealing product assortment, unique positioning and attractive new packaging design, we are well placed to capitalise on the potential there when traffic levels finally recover.”