Moroccanoil on turning a transit experience into a beauty discovery
“We aim to create a moment of indulgence in the travel retail space – turning a transit experience into a beauty discovery,” says Violet Sainsbury, Senior Manager, Travel Retail Asia Pacific
Describing Moroccanoil’s expansion in Asia’s travel retail market over 2024/2025 as a promising journey, Violet Sainsbury, Senior Manager, Travel Retail Asia Pacific, explains navigating market nuances requires a tailored approach for each region. With Chinese travelers returning slower than expected and Southeast Asia emerging as a powerhouse for travel retail, securing prime visibility in competitive airport environments remains a key focus for the brand. The team is continually evolving its approach to experiential retail to increase traveler engagement.
Sainsbury remarks, “A critical first step is ensuring inviting on-shelf product discovery, where travelers can experience the signature Moroccanoil fragrance and product textures firsthand. Ultimately, we aim to create a moment of indulgence in the travel retail space – turning a transit experience into a beauty discovery.”
Emerging influential beauty destinations
According to Sainsbury, beauty remains one of Asia travel retail’s most resilient and fast-growing categories, with substantial recovery across key markets. She says, the return of Chinese travelers is fueling momentum, but Southeast Asia and India are also emerging as influential beauty destinations, shaping the future of the category.
“Our presence in Bangalore represents a strategic entry point into the fast-growing Indian travel retail space, marking an exciting step in Moroccanoil’s global expansion,” comments Sainsbury. “There’s a strong demand for premium, results-driven beauty products, with Indian travelers actively seeking high-performance brands they can trust.”
Looking to meet this demand, Moroccanoil is focused on offering retail expressions that bring the brand to life, including exclusive travel sets and tailored product assortments. Additionally, the brand is prioritizing strategic partnerships such as its collaboration with Avolta, which is in place to ensure premium visibility in high-traffic locations.
Beauty at sea
Post-pandemic Moroccanoil’s cruise business has reached new heights, notably with Starboard Group. As shared by Sainsbury, to generate brand awareness and sales onboard, Moroccanoil’s strategy is centered around exclusive travel sets and gift with purchase offers – creating cruise-exclusive offers tailored for travelers looking for luxury and convenience. “Luxury cruises cater to experience-driven, high-spending travelers, making it an ideal environment for a brand like ours – where indulgence, self-care and premium beauty go hand in hand,” says Sainsbury.
“We intend on making the most of Starboard [Group]’s push in Asia, that will clearly benefit us, as we combine our channel expertise with our regional developments. With the cruise industry booming in Asia, this channel presents incredible growth potential, and we’re excited to elevate the beauty offering for travelers at sea,” she continues.
When it comes to bringing beauty to sea, Moroccanoil has “lofty” goals of creating the ultimate experiential retail activations featuring onboard styling sessions and tutorials that showcase its hero products.
As consumers increasingly prioritize scalp health and professional-grade formulas, one of the most notable category trends in Asia travel retail is the “skinification” of haircare
The “skinification” of haircare
As consumers increasingly prioritize scalp health and professional-grade formulas, Sainsbury points out one of the most notable category trends in Asia travel retail is the “skinification” of haircare. “This aligns perfectly with Moroccanoil’s positioning and our latest launch, the Scalp Collection, which was developed in Japan with scalp experts and features a refreshing, scalp-optimized fragrance and formula tailored to evolving consumer needs,” says Sainsbury.
Driven by a favorable exchange rate and an influx of visitors, the travel retail sector in Japan is experiencing significant growth. “Moroccanoil saw tremendous momentum in the channel last year and anticipates continued expansion in 2025, with new openings and an increased retail presence,” she adds.
This transportive fragrance captures the essence of a luxuriant escape to the Mediterranean – blending sweet florals, velvet woods and spicy amber. Moroccanoil signed American actress, Adria Arjona, to star in the brand campaign
L’Originale Eau de Parfum launch
Earlier this year, Moroccanoil released its first-ever fine fragrance, L’Originale Eau de Parfum. This transportive fragrance captures the essence of a luxuriant escape – blending sweet florals, velvet woods and spicy amber – and invites consumers to experience the Mediterranean.
To mark this launch, Moroccanoil signed American actress, Adria Arjona, as the muse of its advertising campaign. According to the brand, the visuals, shot in Puglia, Italy, by renowned photographer Mikael Jansson, transport viewers on a journey to explore pockets of paradise that hold the secrets of the Mediterranean.
“After years of customers asking for us to develop an Eau de Parfum featuring our iconic scent, we are thrilled to finally share the brand’s expansion into the fine fragrance category,” says Co-founder Carmen Tal.
Housed in a sleek, crystal-clear glass bottle – featuring a gentle curvature, golden amber hue and regal turquoise cap (a Moroccanoil signature) – L’Originale is designed to embody timeless elegance.
Moroccanoil L’Originale Eau de Parfum is available in three sizes (100-ml, 60-ml and 10-ml) and for purchase via the Sephora app, online at Moroccanoil.com and Sephora.com, and in-store at select travel retail.
