A toast to 30 years of Mondelez World Travel Retail
Mondelez World Travel Retail (WTR) returned to TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes celebrating 30 years since the dedicated travel retail business unit was established. Festivities highlighted Mondelez’s rich history in confectionery, partnerships and innovation, while setting the stage to launch a bold new travel retail strategy focused on differentiation, a re-framed portfolio and enhancing shopper value.
Since entering the travel retail sector three decades ago, Mondelez has been driven by a vision to delight travelers around the globe. The brand owner’s commitment to innovation and partnerships has positioned it as a pioneering force in the confectionery category, allowing it to navigate and thrive amid the evolving challenges of the industry.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary milestone with trusted partners at TFWA Cannes showcased the collaborative spirit that has fueled Mondelez WTR’s continued success. The category leader expressed deep gratitude for the ongoing support, which has been instrumental in its journey.
The Mondelez WTR birthday cake was suitably decorated with chocolate and biscuits from key brands
According to Mondelez WTR, the company has flourished over the past 30 years in travel retail under the guardianship of a select group of visionary leaders. The late Markus Gerber established ‘International Duty Free Division’ in 1994, bringing his dream to sell chocolate in airports to life. Gerber then entrusted his vision to future leaders Andreas Fehr and Jaya Singh, who guided the business to new heights and through recent challenges impacting travel retail. The group honored Fehr in Cannes, who passed away in August.
In line with its growth strategy, Mondelez WTR has introduced two new members to its leadership team: Joost Rosmuller, Vice President and Managing Director of WTR and Anna Somogyi in the newly created role of Director for Mondelez WTR Category, Customer Marketing, and Insights. With Rosmuller bringing a wealth of expertise from across Mondelez International’s global business, and Somogyi returning to travel retail where she previously spearheaded numerous milestone initiatives, the leadership team is well-placed to help Mondelez WTR and its partners to navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. These changes have strengthened the business structure, aligning it with the priorities needed to drive industry and category growth.
Looking ahead: A strategic vision for 2025
Mondelez World Travel Retail’s strategy to drive penetration and conversion is anchored in a renewed category vision focusing on three main pillars: advancing its winning portfolio, delivering unique experiences, and enhancing awareness around the confectionery category.
To achieve these goals, Mondelez WTR has adopted a data-driven approach that enables the company to identify new opportunities for increasing footfall and driving conversion. By closely monitoring shopper behaviors, Mondelez WTR can adapt its offerings to meet the evolving preferences of travelers.
An anniversary event attracted strong industry support at Cannes
Cannes launchpad: A holistic plan for success
Mondelez unveiled a holistic plan to drive growth in 2025 and beyond built on three key pillars:
- Differentiation: In 2025, Mondelez WTR will elevate differentiation like never before. Its iconic brands, Toblerone and Cadbury, will receive fresh, modern travel retail-exclusive designs, boosting on-shelf appeal and delivering even stronger purchasing cues.
- Re-framed portfolio: The brand owner is re-framing each brand’s portfolio to boost penetration across all shopper demographics, ensuring that confectionery remains a powerful conversion driver for retailers.
- Enhanced Shopper Value: Mondelez WTR will amplify shopper value through engaging activations and memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression and further differentiate the channel.
Through these three pillars, with top-tier execution and strong partnerships with retailers, Mondelez WTR is well-positioned to drive category growth effectively. While it can develop strong brand ideas and exceptional packaging, executional excellence is crucial. The company emphasizes the need to work hand-in-hand with retail partners and airports to ensure that travelers can easily discover its offerings.
Joost Rosmuller, Vice President and Managing Director of Special Businesses, said, “Over the past 30 years, Mondelez World Travel Retail has built an unrivalled reputation for partnership, innovation and leadership that will continue to guide our way forward. This year, we take the time to celebrate the people, ideas and moments of leadership that have defined our journey.
“Looking ahead, it is fitting that the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference – the launchpad for so many of our most successful initiatives over the years – will once again see the Mondelez team share powerful strategies for growth that leverage our iconic brands and activations. It is a privilege to pick up the mantel from Jaya at this inflection point for the business, and I look forward to strengthening the relationships that make our business a success in Cannes.”
