L’Occitane TR on retail excellence, the success of Sol de Janeiro and its bright future
L'Occitane Group partnered with China Duty Free Group to launch its first-ever L'Occitane en Provence Botanical Lab pop-up at the CDF International Duty Free Complex in Sanya, Hainan
Although L’Occitane Travel Retail (L’Occitane TR) remains quiet on the group’s acquisition of luxury home fragrance brand Dr. Vranjes Firenze – with no news on a potential rollout in the channel – there is plenty to talk about. From Sol de Janeiro’s summer of success to the recent launch of Erborian’s “Leave Red on Read” campaign and the first-ever L’Occitane en Provence Botanical Lab in Hainan, “disruption is the motto.”
Global Travel Retail Magazine spoke with Director of Marketing Global Travel Retail, Mona L’Hostis, at TFWA Cannes for an update. According to L'Hostis, L’Occitane TR’s brand portfolio is helping the business to address various demographics and meet the different expectations of consumers across different regions. Looking ahead, she said the group is feeling buoyant about future growth opportunities.
Sol de Janeiro’s “Unleash Your Summer Self!” promotional campaign hit 105 airports worldwide and resulted in more than 180 animations, 20 out-of-home activations and 600 new door openings
L'Occitane TR's mega Sol de Janeiro pop-up at London Heathrow Airport ran from August until mid-October as part of the three-month global campaign
Sol de Janeiro’s summer of success
Following a three-month long airport tour of Sol de Janeiro’s “Unleash Your Summer Self!” promotional campaign, the team at L’Occitane TR is not winding down. The campaign hit 105 airports worldwide and resulted in more than 180 animations, 20 out-of-home activations and 600 new door openings. Driven by social media, L’Occitane TR utilized geotargeting and a clear “call to action” to find new potential customers in the airport environment. Featuring the brand’s signature style and yellow color – plus its iconic Bum Bum Cream – the dynamic campaign reached over seven million travelers.
For the first time, L’Occitane TR involved key performance indicators in line with footfall, conversion and dwell time in order to be more data-driven, which L’Hostis noted is missing from the channel.
“What we’re trying to do with Sol de Janeiro is push the boundaries and try new things. The idea is to support retailers with what we have going on – and with what we’re learning – to be better for 2025. In terms of plan, based on this year, we’re looking at more personalized spaces because we entered a lot of doors this year, but it was with rather small spaces. Now we know that we have the potential to enter bigger spaces. We also have a strong pipeline of novelties for next year with limited edition mists, new body care products and great activations. The future is bright for Sol de Janeiro – and globally, all of our brands,” she explained.
While L’Hostis said the success of Sol de Janeiro was not a surprise, this didn’t make it easy. “We’re helping [travel] retailers to bring another type of demographic – Gen Z – into stores. The objective is to use the brand to attract new individuals into stores,” she said.
Described as a volume-driven brand, it took L’Occitane TR and retailers time to adapt to the idea of products flying off the airport shelf. According to L’Hostis, both parties have now hit cruise speed, meaning both know how well the brand can perform in duty free. With this in mind, L’Occitane TR is ready to tackle the next year and its follow up plan.
The multi-sensory L'Occitane Botanical Lab in Hainan invites travelers on a beauty journey that is not only memorable, but also a reflection of the group's commitment to sustainability and innovative retail
Those visiting the Hair Lab can take advantage of an exclusive and personal in-depth hair diagnosis from L’Occitane en Provence’s expert team in order to better understand their particular hair condition
The L’Occitane Botanical Lab and retail excellence
In partnership with China Duty Free Group, L’Occitane TR has opened its first-ever L’Occitane en Provence Botanical Lab pop-up at the CDF International Duty Free Complex in Sanya, Hainan. This innovative travel retail activation, which opened in September, invites travelers on a multi-sensory journey through the brand’s iconic botanical ingredients, blending nature and science to create personalized beauty experiences. According to the team at L’Occitane TR, this new concept further showcases the expertise of L’Occitane en Provence in botanical sciences and marks a milestone in global travel retail and China.
As shared in the release, upon entering the L’Occitane Botanical Lab, visitors embark on a transformative journey that offers an immersive experience of all five senses guided through four zones: the Son et Lumière – sound and light – visual spectacle, the Bubble Garden, the Hair Lab and the Face Lab, each highlighting a different aspect of the group’s beauty expertise. The release reads, “The journey culminates in the Gifting Zone, seamlessly blending discovery with shopping and inviting visitors to take home L’Occitane’s star products and exclusive, limited offerings.”
With a focus on retail excellence and adding services to its counters, L’Occitane en Provence is gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026. As noted by L’Hostis, the group is currently mid-brand elevation and will be revamping all of its product lines in the next two years. “This is what we want to do in the coming months – globally and in travel retail,” she said. “We want to talk about our expertise and be able to bring unique experiences to our consumers.”
