Frédéric Porchet, General Manager, NITR will be attending the IAADFS Summit of the Americas.

Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) is sharpening its focus on the Americas, identifying what it sees as a significant untapped growth opportunity for confectionery in global travel retail.

While passenger footfall and conversion rates in the region currently trail other parts of the world, the company views this not as a limitation but as clear headroom for expansion. Changing traveller demographics, rising demand for experience-led retail and the growing influence of Gen Z are, it believes, creating the right conditions for renewed category momentum.

The renewed regional focus will be highlighted at the IAADFS Summit of the Americas in Orlando, where NITR plans to outline how it intends to accelerate confectionery growth in close partnership with retailers across North and South America.

Gen Z travellers, in particular, are reshaping expectations around retail. Digitally native and experience-driven, this cohort is seeking brands that deliver both relevance and interaction — a shift NITR believes could unlock new potential in the Americas.

“For us, the Americas has some untapped potential,” said Frédéric Porchet, General Manager, NITR. “Lower penetration today only reinforces the opportunity ahead – especially as younger travellers look for brands and experiences that matter.”

In practical terms, that means rethinking how confectionery is presented and activated in-store, with a greater emphasis on theatre, visibility and emotional engagement — particularly in high-traffic airport environments where speed and impact are critical.

At the heart of NITR’s approach is its global A.C.T. framework: Attract, Convert, Thrive. The strategy is designed to attract shoppers through stronger visibility and experiential activations, convert them with clear gifting, impulse and exclusivity cues, and ensure the category thrives through innovation, responsible sourcing and the power of globally recognised brands.

This framework underpins NITR’s broader ambition to help drive 50% confectionery category growth by 2030, with execution tailored to the specific dynamics of each region. In the Americas, that means adapting to varied traveller profiles, fluctuating dwell times and differing store formats across airports.

At the IAADFS Summit, NITR will showcase a portfolio designed to resonate with today’s more experience-led shopper. Leading the line-up is KitKat, supported by its global partnership with Formula 1, a collaboration aimed at connecting with younger, culturally engaged travellers.

The company will also highlight collectible F1 KitKat Cars, the distinctive range of KitKat Japan, its refreshed Nestlé Chocolate line-up under the Swiss Expertise banner and premium gifting formats, as well as bold new “beyond mint” flavour extensions from After Eight. Each initiative is designed to strengthen confectionery’s role as both an impulse and gifting category, appealing to modern tastes while reinforcing premium cues.

Recent in-market activations offer a glimpse of how the strategy is translating into practice. Multi-brand confectionery zones developed with Avolta at São Paulo International Airport, for example, demonstrate how enhanced visibility and clearer category navigation can improve shopper engagement and drive conversion.

“This is only the beginning,” Porchet added. “With the right brands, innovation and partnerships, the Americas can play a central role in unlocking the next chapter of category growth.”

As the Americas travel retail market continues to rebuild and evolve, Nestlé International Travel Retail is signalling that confectionery has both the tools and the ambition to capture a larger share of the opportunity ahead.

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