Choco Myths charts bold global course in TR, anchored by European success

Choco Myths, the imaginative confectionery and souvenirs brand that fuses storytelling, culture, and chocolate, is setting its sights on a major global expansion within travel retail. From its Athens base, the company is accelerating its footprint through strategic partnerships, creative product diversification, and plans for mono-brand stores that will bring its mythology-inspired world to life for travelers across the globe.

“We remain a travel retail-exclusive brand, and expanding our footprint in this channel is essential,” says George Chouseas, General Manager of Choco Myths, in conversation with Global Travel Retail Magazine at TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes. “Travel retail is the perfect platform to express who we are: a brand that celebrates discovery, culture, and the joy of travel itself.”

Expanding beyond chocolate

The brand’s next chapter sees an evolution beyond its iconic chocolate bars and confectionery lines. In 2026, Choco Myths will begin selling a new range of souvenir items, including mugs, magnets, tote bags, and notebooks, starting in Greece and Egypt.

“These new products feature the same local caricatures as our chocolate collections,” explains Chouseas. “They help us create a more complete and immersive brand experience. The notebooks, in particular, include storytelling elements for each character, just as we do with our chocolate products, bringing mythology and local culture to life.”

This diversification supports Choco Myths’ long-term strategy for shop-in-shop concepts in 2026 and the launch of its first standalone store in 2027. The debut Choco Myths outlet is planned for Athens, offering a full assortment of confectionery and souvenirs based on the flagship Greek Choco Myths collection. The company is currently assessing two potential sites: a 25-square-meter airport location or a 65-square-meter city-center location.

Strength in European partnerships

While its ambitions are global, Europe remains Choco Myths’ strategic heartland. “Our main focus is the European market, as we’re based in Athens,” Chouseas confirms. “Key target markets include Italy, France, the UK, Germany, and the Nordics.”

Today, the brand is available in 15 countries, supported by a strong network of leading travel retail partners. These include Avolta (Greece, Turkey), Lagardère (Holland, Albania), ARI (Cyprus, Canada), Heinemann (Egypt), and WHSmith (Ireland, Spain, Germany).

“These partnerships are at the core of our growth strategy,” says Chouseas. “Each collaboration allows us to tailor our storytelling and product collections to reflect local culture and travelers’ interests. The result is something that feels unique, authentic, and relevant to each location.”

Exclusivity at the core

A defining feature of Choco Myths’ success is its unwavering commitment to exclusivity. “We are a travel retail-exclusive brand,” Chouseas emphasizes. “While there are a few exceptions (museums or specialty stores), all our products are created specifically for this channel and are not available in domestic stores.”

This dedication extends to every product line and partnership. “We create exclusive collections for each partner or location,” says Chouseas. “You’ll find different caricatures at each airport; for example, Athens versus Amsterdam. This has created a growing collector fan base among travelers searching for Choco Myths designs wherever they go.”

That collector culture has become an unexpected yet powerful driver of brand loyalty, transforming Choco Myths into a sought-after souvenir and storytelling brand that connects deeply with travelers’ emotions and sense of place.

A vast creative library fuelling growth

Rather than expanding its core product range in 2026, Choco Myths is focusing on new market entries powered by its creative depth. “We already offer a wide assortment such as chocolate bars, duos, gift boxes, cookies, chocolate almonds and more,” Chouseas explains. “So, our focus now is on new market entries using our vast library of local characters and sceneries.”

That library is immense. To date, the brand has developed 22 civilizations and more than 350 original caricatures, allowing it to launch new collections quickly and tailor them precisely to regional preferences. From ancient Greece to modern Europe, each caricature embodies humour, humanity, and local storytelling. From Zeus to Van Gogh, a mummy to a leprechaun, the Choco Myths archive of over 1000 SKUs has the ability to transform a simple chocolate bar into a cultural artefact.

Sweet Myths: a cultural counterpart

Complementing Choco Myths’ confectionery and souvenir offering is its sister brand, Sweet Myths — a range that extends the company’s storytelling ethos into localized sweet delicacies.

“Sweet Myths focuses on traditional treats such as baklava, delights, and halva,” says Chouseas. “It allows us to express the richness of regional cultures through taste, offering products that feel authentic and deeply rooted in local identity.”

Sweet Myths has already found a strong following in markets such as the Middle East, where demand for culturally resonant, premium-quality sweets is growing rapidly. Together, the two brands provide a complementary mix of mythology-inspired gifting and culture-specific indulgence, giving travel retailers a versatile offer across confectionery and souvenirs.

Playful activations

Choco Myths has already proven its ability to captivate travelers through high-impact activations. “We’ve carried out successful activations in 2025 at major airports such as Athens, Madrid and Barcelona,” Chouseas notes. “We plan to continue in 2026, depending on opportunities.”

The combination of confectionery, cultural storytelling, and design creativity positions Choco Myths uniquely in the competitive travel retail space, the brand offers both emotional resonance and strong commercial performance.

The road ahead: from myth to movement

As the brand moves toward its next phase, Chouseas remains focused on authenticity, creativity, and connection. “For us, every product is part of a bigger story,” he reflects. “It’s about creating connections between people, places, and time. When travelers see our characters, they smile; they recognise something familiar, or they discover something new.”

That spirit, part myth, part modernity,continues to define Choco Myths’ approach. Whether it’s a chocolate bar featuring Socrates, a mug of Athena, or a notebook telling the tale of Helen of Troy, the brand transforms travel retail into a living museum of world culture.

“We enjoy the journey,” concludes Chouseas. “There is no final destination, only evolution. For Choco Myths, this is our Odyssey.”