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CONFECTIONERY CONVERSATION M1nd-set profiles confectionery shoppers in TR, post-Covid


In this edition of Confectionery Conversation – a monthly column that shines a spotlight on the confectionery category, sponsored by Mars Wrigley ITR – Charlotte Turner gathers fresh insights on post- Covid shopping behaviour from m1nd-set’s Project and Business Devlopment Manager Anna Marchesini.


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ccording to Swiss research agency m1nd-set, confectionery retailers and brands should adjust their


portfolio and merchandising to better cater to a new passenger demographic – certainly over the next six months or so – if they are to maximise sales in travel retail during this challenging trading period. ‘Since Covid-19’, a phrase coined by


the Institute of International Retail’s Derek Hughes during the inaugural TRMarketplace digital conference and networking forum [see p19], there is a higher share of millennials travelling across the world than there was pre-Covid. While this could change in a year’s time, it’s certainly worth taking into account even if it’s only on a temporary basis. When it comes to the profile of


confectionery shoppers across all age groups, 85% of those surveyed by m1nd-set in June said they would consider travelling by air again within the first six months after travel bans were lifted; significantly


Changes in trip planning, post-Covid.


higher when compared with shoppers in other categories. And while 75% of confectionery shoppers


said they intended to reduce their travel frequency post-Covid, this figure was actually significantly lower than it was for shoppers in other categories. Forty-two percent of confectionery


shoppers said they would change their planned international trips because of Covid-19 and the top five countries they would avoid comprised the US, China, the UK, India and France. Seventy-nine percent of confectionery


Can retailers coax travellers back into duty free shops through attractive promotions?


shoppers also said they would change their habits at the airport on future international


M1nd-set’s tips for travel retail, post-Covid


• Impact the choices of undecided confectionery shoppers with innovative and interactive elements in the retail environment, such as


digital components and LED screens; pop-up stores; ads at the counter; and promotional gondolas. Further encourage engagement through sales staff interaction, innovative and ‘covid- friendly’ sampling and testing offers and promotional offers. • Improve store navigation as well as the appeal of the counter and assortment. • Improve gift and sharing options with


NOVEMBER 2020


inspiring and creative items in order to increase size of shopping basket and drive conversion. • Offer more unique and travel exclusive products, with emphasis on novelties and differentiation. Include a local touch to the offer. • Improve appeal of savings/promotions and provide attractive and interactive ways to communicate value for money. • Encourage and incentivise sales staff excellence and arm brand ambassadors with the right skill set so they can provide bespoke advice and a personalised service while ensuring adherence to safety regulations.


Forty-two percent of confectionery shoppers said they would change their planned international trips because of Covid-19 and the top five countries they would avoid comprised the US, China, the UK, India and France.


TRBusiness


trips, with 43% saying this would mean spending less time shopping or visiting the duty free stores. Once in store, 60% said they would


refrain from being in proximity with retail ambassadors and sales staff, while 54% said they would take precautions if they did have to interact e.g. wear a mask, not shake hands, stay a few metres away. Interestingly, 44% of confectionery


buyers said they would refrain from testing/trying products in duty free stores. This is slightly higher than those in other categories, but not entirely surprising considering that shoppers would actually be consuming products as opposed to merely handling them. «


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