Personalization, premium gifting and experience-first activations were key trends for confectionery brands at TFWA WE

According to recent m1nd-set research, confectionery shoppers are increasingly influenced by social media and seek more "mindful indulgence" with a focus on ethics and sustainability.

Confectionery offers higher rates of impulse buying in travel retail, says m1nd-set, however the category has a need for travel retailers to tailor pricing and exclusive promotions to diverse shopper segments like Gen Z and Millennials.

“Spontaneity is becoming a dominant mode of decision-making in travel retail,” says Dr. Peter Mohn, CEO at m1nd-set. “As travelers become more emotionally driven and less rigid in their purchase planning, there is a huge opportunity for brands and retailers to curate immersive, emotionally engaging experiences that stimulate unplanned buying behavior. The ability to influence spontaneous decision-making is now a key competitive differentiator in the highly dynamic and competitive airport retail environment.”

In 2025, confectionery shopping is being reshaped by the growing influence of Gen Z and Millennials, who are increasingly inspired by social media and more likely to explore duty free shops, driven by digital-first promotions. Impulse purchases are rising, driven by exclusive offers, emotional appeal, and convenience, highlighting the growing importance of sensory and experience-led marketing.

Mondelez WTR's "Destination Value" targets Gen Z

Speaking to Global Travel Retail Magazine at the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes last month, Mondelez WTR Marketing Director Anna Somogyi described how the company is reimagining "Destination Value" through innovation, exclusivity, and emotional engagement — particularly with Gen Z travelers.

Somogyi highlighted how Gen Z’s travel rituals are shaped by social sharing. Mondelez designs products like Toblerone gift packs with "Bestie Vibes" and "Epic Travel" slogans to be visually postable for social media — creating content opportunities that signal friendship, adventure, and status. Airports have become stages for social storytelling, turning impulse gifting into shareable experiences.

A sense of place remains key, but Mondelez extends it beyond locations to emotionally charged activations. The limited edition Toblerone Popcorn launch at Athens Airport in September, blended nostalgia, scarcity, and novelty to create hype around airport shopping itself — encouraging travelers to “check what’s available” and make the store a destination, said Somogyi.

Mondelez’s approach — limited editions, new flavors, and playful experiences driven by social media relevance — has driven confectionery growth faster than total travel retail, with Toblerone responsible for a quarter of the category’s expansion, according to Mondelez research.

Choco Myths expands its TR storytelling universe

Choco Myths is looking at a bullish expansion plan for 2026, blending its cultural storytelling, creative design, and confectionery innovation with new retail concepts and a focus on traveler-centricity. At the trade show, George Chouseas, General Manager, outlined how the Athens-based brand is deepening its travel retail-exclusive positioning through new partnerships, product extensions, and experiential retail concepts.

“We are a travel retail-exclusive brand,” Chouseas emphasised. “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,” said 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.”

Choco Myths’ growth strategy centers on exclusive collaborations with leading operators including Avolta, Lagardère, ARI, Gebr. Heinemann, and WHSmith, spanning 15 countries.

This move paves the way for shop-in-shop rollouts in 2026 and Choco Myths’ first standalone Athens store in 2027. Chouseas said the brand’s mission remains unchanged: to make travel retail a “living museum” of global culture and humor — where every product tells a story and every collection connects travelers through the shared language of myth.

Valrhona’s destination and celebration collections

Zeyneb Larabi, Head of Global Retail at Valrhona, explains that the company’s three brands in travel retail Valrhona, Villars, and Weiss — two French and one Swiss heritage chocolate brands — operate under the same group. Together, they form Gourmets & Co, a curated confectionery retail concept that celebrates each brand’s distinct DNA. Valrhona embodies French gastronomy and craftsmanship, Villars represents Swiss milk chocolate expertise, and Weiss blends tradition with indulgence. This collaboration allows the group to cater to different traveler profiles while maintaining a unified luxury narrative, added Larabi.

Villars has developed destination and celebration packs linking Swiss chocolate with local and cultural moments — Zurich, Doha, Seoul, Japan, Diwali, Eid Mubarak, and Chinese New Year editions. This approach strengthens emotional connection and authenticity, embedding gifting in a sense of place, explains Larabi. Valrhona celebrates its roots in the Rhone Valley, drawing from its deep relationships with Michelin-star chefs and highlighting origin-based and Grand Cru chocolates.

“Around the world, we are working with two-thirds of the Michelin star chefs. We are known for specializing in origin and a blend of Grand Cru chocolates. And now we want to highlight the destination as well. So, we created amazing activations in Paris, Dubai and Singapore, to highlight the Celebration collection,” she said.

Another notable product highlight is Valrhona’s Pistachio Crispy Praline gift box launch, a nod to the global pistachio trend and the brand’s century-old confectionery know-how. This reinterpretation merges nostalgia with modern taste, balancing indulgence and innovation.

Valrhona’s Gift Atelier concept merges personalization and experiential retail theater. Consumers can print personalized ribbons — names, emojis, or messages—for packaging, transforming a purchase into a meaningful memento. This activation debuted at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and is expanding across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. “The goal is to offer travelers a multisensory ‘wow’ moment through artistry, exclusivity, and participation,” Larabi told Global Travel Retail Magazine in Cannes.

Ferrero’s premium biscuit & packaging push

Ferrero Rocher is amplifying investment in its "Premier Biscuit League" umbrella: heritage brands such as Royal Dansk (Denmark), Pedersen’s (Scotland), Delacre (Belgium) and Fox’s (UK) — all with long histories and strong localisation credentials. “These are all brands that have been around for a long time. They are outstanding for their quality and also from their sense of place and heritage,” commented Nathalie Mike, Brand Manager, at the company.

Ferrero’s La Biscotteria concept is being scaled for key travel retail markets to include a wider range of SKUs, supported with digital engagement — for example QR codes on pack that allow shoppers to send a personalized message when gifting.  

The premium chocolate tablets segment is flagged as a priority by Ferrero, which is launching a new 70% dark chocolate bar (up from 55%) for its Rocher tablets. Mike said the company recognizes that 70% is considered the threshold for “dark chocolate” by many consumers.

Packaging has been restyled: new minimalist visual identity, clearly marked with travel exclusive branding, and an on-pack QR code that links to sustainability and quality information.  

For its premium Rocher gift box ranges, Ferrero has moved to fully recyclable polypropylene packaging, changed plastic trays to paper trays, and emphasized sustainability credentials in the travel retail channel.

Most importantly for Gen Z travelers, Ferrero’s recent activation at Nice Airport blends education and sustainability in a travel retail setting: the hazelnut-shaped installation traced ingredient origins and the company’s commitment to farm-level traceability and regenerative practices. This provides an interactive, purpose-driven experience that aligns with younger consumers’ values around heritage, responsibility and meaningful engagement.

Nutella’s Next Destination pack, a travel-exclusive format (x3 mini jars) each labeled with a different country (i.e. Mexico, France), uses the destination theme to appeal to younger travelers. “You never know which country you will have. It’s designed to be really fun, modern and vibrant,” said Mike. On-pack QR codes drive purchasers to a landing page called “Every Place, A Good Morning” which teaches them how to say good morning in different languages, shares breakfast traditions and recipes using Nutella. “It’s designed to coupling the product with travel, culture and social/digital engagement,” added Mike.  

The strategy is about targeting Gen Z travelers by using playful, collectible, destination-inspired formats and interactive features on-pack, and for Ferrero, this sense of place strategy is truly global.