Mars Wrigley puts experiences first at Cannes

Mars Wrigley revealed the strength of its colourful power brands at the 2026 TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, as it prioritises the confectionery category’s staying power in the channel.

Looking ahead to 2027, Mars Wrigley ITR plans to launch a 440g Twix White pouch with a handle, to tap into the fast-growing consumer preference for white chocolate. The travel-exclusive format is a convenient, shareable pouch tailored to travellers.

The company is also building on regional momentum with the recent launch of the Middle Eastern dessert-inspired Galaxy Pistachio Kunafa Pouch, following the success of Galaxy Kunafa as a top performer across select locations.

Mars Wrigley ITR has structured its gifting portfolio to span accessible entry-level options up to premium gifts. The new M&M’S Tin Collection features a tiered pricing model ranging from collectible souvenirs to larger family-sharing tins.

The Sense of Place range is being expanded with a bundle bag designed for the new small M&M’S tins at HPP activations, celebrating local culture through destination imagery, regional greetings and themed M&M’S characters.

M&M'S Eiffel Tower on display at the TFWA World Exhibition

Building on its global M&M’S Experience concept, which combines confectionery retail with gaming, Mars Wrigley ITR announced the upcoming opening of a new M&M’S Experience shop-in-shop at Kuwait International Airport, developed in partnership with Avolta. The opening marks the seventh M&M’S Experience location globally and the third in the Middle East.

The company reports that its multi-player M&M’S Playhub game generates over five hours of daily active playtime with a 40% repeat engagement rate, while the digital You & Who station sees half of all users send personalised video greetings to multiple recipients.

For 2027, Mars Wrigley ITR plans to introduce enhanced gifting stations that turn purchases into personalised travel memories, a deeper Sense of Place across fixtures and retail furniture to give each destination a unique look and feel, and new travel-exclusive items.

An De Volder, Market Director, Mars Wrigley ITR, said: “Confectionery already has a strong conversion in travel retail, but stopping shoppers is no longer enough to grow the category. We have seen first-hand that our M&M’S Experience locations have the power to outperform the category and deliver tangible growth. By combining an iconic global brand with meaningful dwell time, whether through gaming, personalisation or local Sense of Place, we are unlocking incremental growth for our airport and retail partners.”

Alongside M&M’S Experiences, Mars Wrigley ITR is rolling out HPP activations that feature destination-themed M&M’S tin statues tailored to their locations across international travel hubs. The concept is live at Copenhagen, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Singapore Changi and Kuala Lumpur International airports, with many more locations planned.

Cartwright & Butler refreshes brand identity

British biscuit and confectionery specialist Cartwright & Butler unveiled a refreshed brand identity at the 2026 TFWA World Exhibition, alongside new products and concepts designed for travellers.

Cartwright & Butler’s revamped visual identity – which made its global debut at the Cannes show on a new stand – introduces a more premium and contemporary expression of the brand’s distinctive English heritage.

The Cannes stand featured elegant archways and traditional detailing, combined with soft pastels, refined gold accents and colour-coded product zones, giving each product range a clear identity.

Cartwright & Butler’s ambition is to strengthen its premium positioning and grow global brand awareness.

Cartwright & Butler Pumpkin Spice biscuits

At Cannes, the company showcased its evolving product strategy across three key areas: F&B/snacking, affordable premium gifting and confectionery.

New twin-pack and single biscuit formats have been developed for complimentary and retail snacking menus, across different purchase occasions and price points.

Launches are planned with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, WHSmith and World Duty Free Group.

Building on its gifting portfolio, Cartwright & Butler presented fresh design concepts for destination-specific, sense-of-place products, alongside a new global travel retail-exclusive presentation, and fresh formats.

Within confectionery – a category earmarked for growth – Cartwright & Butler is expanding its focus on fudge, truffles and chocolate nuts, with new launches designed for all channels of the business.

Asia focus

The brand’s best-selling 200g Pastels biscuit tins are enhanced with new flavours, including Hazelnut & Chocolate and Maple & Pecan Dark Chocolate Biscuits, alongside seasonal innovations such as Pumpkin Spice.

Cartwright & Butler’s refreshed Shortbread Collection has delivered positive results in travel retail this year, following its relaunch with five sweet and one savoury flavour, supported by a successful debut HPP in Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, the Great Britain range continues to drive both revenue and market share. New retailer-exclusive launches this year include the Ultra Thick Union Jack and Union Jack Duo Pack.

Cartwright & Butler’s August activations at London Heathrow T3 and T5 and London Stansted feature Avolta Great Britain products, with a new Spin the Wheel mechanic designed to drive interaction. In September 2026, the brand’s new snacking twin-pack will be promoted as part of the popular WHSmith meal deal offer.

Global Travel Retail Business Development Manager Julie Feryn commented: “Cannes is an important opportunity for us to showcase how Cartwright & Butler is evolving while staying true to the quality and craftsmanship that have always been at the heart of the brand. We are committed to leveraging the strong momentum we have built in travel retail over the past two years to extend our footprint internationally, with Asia and the Middle East among the key areas of focus."

Ferrero unveils next wave of novelties at TFWA

Ferrero Travel Market introduced its latest innovations across confectionery, biscuits and digital engagement at the 2026 TFWA World Exhibition.

A key focus at this year's fair was the expansion of Ferrero's biscuit offering, spearheaded by the global roll-out of Kinder Crunchy Cookies, which scales up the company’s pioneering La Biscotteria concept.

Kinder Crunchy Cookies

Kinder Crunchy Cookies made its travel retail debut last year exclusively with Avolta, and joins the company’s portfolio with global availability from September 2026.

The product is offered in a 136g snacking format with packaging developed exclusively for the travel retail channel.

A new Kinder experience

Kinder Crispy has joined its travel retail portfolio with global availability, following its debut last year exclusively in partnership with Gebr Heinemann.

The product features layers of creamy milk filling, cocoa and hazelnut filling, crispy wafer, milk chocolate and biscuit crumbs.

Kinder Crispy

Recognising the growing importance of connected consumer experiences, Ferrero has introduced a Kinder digital game that extends shopper engagement beyond the point of purchase.

Designed to create an interactive experience both in-store and afterwards, the game incorporates digital touchpoints designed to deepen brand connection throughout the traveller journey.

Sustainability advances

Alongside its product innovations, Ferrero highlighted continued progress across its global sustainability strategy, demonstrating advances in responsible sourcing, packaging circularity, and support for farming communities.

Some 92.9% of its packaging is designed for recyclability, reusability or compostability, while the redesign of the signature Ferrero Rocher boxes contributed to a reduction of 16,000 tonnes of plastic cumulatively since September 2021.

In addition, Ferrero’s Save the Children programme in Côte d’Ivoire is set to reach 235 cocoa-producing communities by 2030.

Sergio Salvagno, General Manager of Ferrero Travel Market, said: “By combining product innovation, digital engagement and category expansion, we continue to create value for our retail partners, while offering travellers exciting reasons to discover and enjoy our brands. We also remain committed to embedding sustainability across our business."

Oribe brings next-gen innovation to travel retail

Oribe Hair Care put its latest breakthrough innovation, Hair Alchemy Bond Building Elixir, at the heart of its travel retail proposition at the 2026 TFWA World Exhibition, as the luxury brand continues to build its presence in the channel.

Launched in July 2026, Hair Alchemy Bonding Elixir is a treatment clinically proven to restore broken and weak bonds. Joining Oribe’s best-selling Hair Alchemy collection, this latest innovation works within the hair fibre to restore all three key bonds for stronger, more resilient, healthier-looking hair.

Oribe Hair Alchemy Bonding Elixir

Powered by encapsulated Time-Release Strengthening Technology, the elixir continuously infuses hair with powerful actives, gradually diffusing botanicals into the hair fibre to deliver sustained nourishment over time. Eleven amino acids and Oribe’s Holistic Rebonding Complex help improve hair’s tensile strength, elasticity and flexibility, with the Hair Alchemy System clinically shown to reduce hair breakage by 71% after five uses.

Designed to offer a luxury interpretation of the increasingly important bond-building category, the formula combines precision technology with a skincare-inspired texture. Its curative blend of chia seed, bio-fermented bamboo and plant-based protein helps strengthen hair from within, while sodium hyaluronate delivers moisture for plump, smooth and soft strands.

Hair Alchemy Bond Building Elixir is housed in recyclable glass, reflecting the brand’s commitment to more considered approaches to luxury and product design.

The hero launch arrives as Oribe enters a significant new chapter. In July, Oribe unveiled a fresh visual and creative era inspired by co-founder and late celebrity hairstylist Oribe Canales’ signature ‘rough luxury’ aesthetic. The editorial-style Hair Alchemy Bond Building Elixir campaign uses the strength and resilience at the heart of Hair Alchemy as a metaphor for transformation, while introducing a sharper, more distinctive expression of the brand.

MCM makes its mark at Frieze Week Seoul

MCM celebrated its official partnership with Frieze Week Seoul 2026 by hosting an exhibition from a leading Korean artist at its South Korean flagship boutique.

Kim Chang-ok: Traces of Comfort took place at MCM HAUS in Cheongdam, as part of MCM's 50th anniversary celebrations, emphasising the brand's commitment to bridging fashion, nature and contemporary craft.

South Korean actor Teo Yoo takes in Kim Chang-ok: Traces of Comfort

Marking his first solo exhibition as a visual artist, Kim Chang-ok works in ottchil, a traditional Asian lacquer that gains its depth through repeated layering, waiting and marking – a process shaped as much by nature as by the artist himself.

Korean celebrities, including actor Teo Yoo and singers Lee Ye-chan and Jo Yu-ri, attended the exhibition to view the curated works.

The exhibition was open to the public until September 27.

MCM goes back to its roots for Oktoberfest

MCM, the German luxury brand born in Munich, is celebrating the annual Oktoberfest festival with a new partnership honouring Bavarian culture.

The MCM x Alpenherz capsule collection features three sophisticated dirndl dresses, an exclusive Aren Oktoberfest Crossbody and a pretzel charm.

Exclusive: MCM x Alpenherz

“Oktoberfest has always been the world’s stage for Bavarian culture and this year, MCM and Alpenherz bring their shared roots to that spotlight. Uniting haus codes with Alpenherz’s dirndl expertise, this limited-edition collection is built for women who honour tradition without being defined by it,” said MCM.

The dirndls have detachable sleeves, versatile silhouettes and a shared diamond motif so they can be styled to suit the wearer.

The collection is available at MCM stores across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, online at mcmworldwide.com, or at Alpenherz and Breuninger.

Sensai spotlights global growth ambitions at TFWA fair

Japanese luxury skincare and make-up brand Sensai is returning to the 2026 TFWA World Exhibition under the Kao beauty portfolio, exhibiting alongside fellow prestige brands Molton Brown and Oribe.

At this year’s show, Sensai will unveil Autumn/Winter 2026 innovations, headlined by the brand’s return to the premium hair and scalp care category.

Visitors will also discover the brand’s best-sellers, alongside an early introduction to the evolution of Sensai’s core Saho philosophy for 2027, including new developments around its signature Double Moisturising ritual.

Sensai's premium hair and scalp care range

The return to the premium hair and scalp care category marks an important milestone for Sensai, as it seeks to capitalise on the strong brand equity it has built within skincare and make-up.

“Sensai’s continued momentum reflects the power of our luxury beauty proposition, and the increasing relevance of our unique Japanese philosophy among consumers worldwide,” said EMEA General Manager Julien Noilou.

“This year marks an especially exciting chapter for the brand as we re-enter the premium hair and scalp care category – a natural extension of the Sensai universe – bringing the same commitment to craftsmanship, innovation and exceptional performance that consumers have come to expect from our skincare and make-up portfolio. Combined with our continued development of the Saho ritual and Double Moisturising philosophy, we are creating new opportunities to engage luxury beauty consumers across multiple categories and touchpoints.”

Sensai’s recent initiatives reflect Kao’s continued commitment to the luxury beauty segment and the group’s Global Sharp Top Strategy, which focuses investment on categories where Kao can establish a leading market position through high-value offerings and distinctive market propositions. Together, Sensai, Molton Brown and Oribe strengthen Kao’s position in the luxury beauty sector, and meet growing global demand for elevated, experience-led products.

In EMEA, Sensai has achieved year-to-date growth of +5%, supported by particularly strong performances in key heritage markets including Italy, Germany, Poland and Sweden.

More recently, Sensai has also achieved significant momentum in Turkey, bolstered by the development of strong local partnerships and increased brand visibility.

Across Asia Pacific, Sensai is continuing to expand its footprint following its successful launch in Indonesia, with Thailand joining as the brand’s next strategic entry market.

Building momentum through travel retail

Travel retail remains a key pillar of Sensai’s international growth strategy. Recent openings at Warsaw Chopin Airport, Prague Václav Havel Airport and Milan Malpensa Airport have strengthened the brand’s presence at major European gateways, with an opening planned at Rome Fiumicino Airport by the end of 2026.

“The openings clearly reinforce our commitment to selective, premium distribution across strategically important travel hubs,” Noilou noted.

"As we strengthen our presence in established markets, enter new territories and expand our travel retail footprint, we look forward to sharing our latest innovations and future vision with our valued business partners in Cannes."