March 1 2023  |  Confectionery & Fine Foods

HARIBO hits the GTR sweet spot

By Jane Hobson

This is a special feature from Global Travel Retail Magazine's 2023 Confectionery and Fine Foods Report, on page 8.

Elisa Fontana, Head of Marketing Travel Retail at RIGO Trading S.A (left), and Gilles Hennericy, Global Travel Retail Head of Sales HARIBO, at TFWA WE Cannes 2022

Confectionery category growth is a priority for HARIBO in the year ahead and the company tells Global Travel Retail Magazine (GTRM) it plans to make the most of celebrations and generations.

“At HARIBO we have always stayed true to our guiding mission of bringing moments of happiness to people of all ages with small, affordable luxuries that epitomize the joy of childhood,” says Elisa Fontana, Head of Marketing Travel Retail at RIGO Trading S.A, the HARIBO Group subsidiary. “In these challenging economic times, sugar confectionery is a powerful footfall driver. The category offers popular solutions for all wallets across a range of shopper missions from self-treat to affordable gifting.”

A new generation of travelers
Trendier cultural dates like Carnival and Halloween are driving a rise in the popularity of sugar confectionery.

“These occasions are delivering category growth with a new generation of travelers and what’s exciting for us is our innovation pipeline bringing more flexibility to meet dietary requirements such as Halal and great tasting options for vegetarians,” Fontana says.

HARIBO is launching the Friends & Party halal pouch, exclusive to global travel retail (GTR), with a mix of HARIBO favorites including HARIBO Goldbears, HARIBO TropiFrutti, HARIBO Happy-Cola and HARIBO Starmix, to appeal to consumers in key markets across India, Middle East and Africa.

The HARIBO & MAOAM duo pack (653 grams) includes HARIBO Roulette Fizz, HARIBO Goldbears Sour, MAOAM Bloxx Sour and MAOAM Stripes Sour

Additional range highlights coming to market in 2023 include the pairing of HARIBO and MAOAM in a duo pack (653 grams). The first-time mixing of the brand’s most popular sour recipes creates a unique offer exclusive to GTR, Fontana says. The pack includes HARIBO Roulette Fizz, HARIBO Goldbears Sour, MAOAM Bloxx Sour and MAOAM Stripes Sour.

“The launch (in April 2023) will be popular with Gen Z who are the top consumers of sours. Having their favorites together in a multipack solution will appeal as sharing with friends is a key purchase motivation,” she says.

HARIBO will also focus on increasing the availability of products in tall pouches to provide more gift solutions and to maximize the on-shelf vertical merchandising opportunity. This helps enhance the aesthetic of the confectionery category with colorful and engaging pack designs.

A moment for holidaymakers
Fontana says summer marks an important season as European travelers look for sharing snacks on family trips, and for souvenirs and gifts.

“We invest in extra visibility in-store in key family holiday destinations to keep our product portfolio top of mind during the summer season and we see this as a key opportunity for brand-building as much as for the commercial sales opportunity,” she explains. “Our holiday product focus includes destination pouches of colorful, juicy fruitgums, popular in particular with British and German holidaymakers at Europe holiday hubs and in Turkey. We know that travelers like to shop for regional specific products to bring back home and this is a key consumption occasion for HARIBO. “

In conclusion, Fontana says the affordability, appeal and international brand recognition that HARIBO sugar confectionery offers across all age groups and nationalities offers retailers a “significant category growth opportunity,” especially when there is good visibility and in-store placement.

“We are always delighted to partner with retailers on this basis to deliver these win-win opportunities.”

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