Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) has revealed a new "Together We Grow" (TWG) platform to help its retailer partners build sustainability in travel retail. The new concept falls under Regeneration in NITR’s VERSE (Value, Engagement, Regeneration, Sense of Place, and Execution) growth model.

TWG is exclusive to travel retail with its debut to retailers taking place last month during TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes. It is launching its B2B communication for the project this month, followed by in-store in 2024, when all the company’s sustainability-focused communications will be under the "Together We Grow" umbrella. 

NITR believes TWG can support its retail partners’ objectives in parallel to communicating the significant impact it has made through packaging initiatives, the Cocoa Plan, and the Coffee plan in the last 15 years. 

NITR General Manager Stewart Dryburgh says: “Together We Grow is an umbrella platform to communicate our sustainability efforts across our portfolio through one food category concept that will include both our confectionery and food brands concepts. Its key objectives are to drive brand awareness and visibility and to lead the sustainability agenda with the retailers, at the same time as embedding key impacts we have made in our sustainability journey.”

Dryburgh describes a “sea of sameness” in the approach of many other confectionery brands to sustainability efforts, highlighting NITR’s own distinctive and people-centred approach.

“Flexibility is built into TWG so it can be tailored to different brands and regions and elements of sustainability. It is both B2B and B2C facing and there are digital and instore assets, including logos and visuals, that can be deployed across the consumer journey from pre-trip to instore and post-trip.”

NITR is refreshing its travel retail specific website to provide information on TWG and sustainability. All TWG point-of-sale assets have QR codes that enable the consumer to go directly to the Cocoa and Coffee plan for more information. 

NITR believes TWG can offer its travel retail partners a credible and flexible platform for growth, together. It includes all key NITR brands—KitKat, Smarties, Quality Street, After Eight, Nescafé, and its latest addition, Nestlé Sustainably Sourced Cocoa—and can drive incremental, permanent, and promotional visibility whilst providing communication assets across the entire customer journey.

NITR cites mind-set research which indicates that customers are cynical and not satisfied with brands’ sustainability efforts in travel retail. The company highlights queries related to the lack of sustainable choices in airport shops and to the possibility of "greenwashing."

The TWG toolkit offers retailers both confectionery-centric and cross-category solutions, introducing new displays and airport furniture which were revealed at this year’s TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes. Branding can be applied to wall bays and free-standing units (FSUs). The concept is eye-catching and straight to the point, highlighting how retailers and NITR can grow together.

The TWG concept also operates more sustainably using natural materials, including FCS-certified plywood. All units are built for disassembly, can be flat-packed to save on carbon emissions and are designed to minimize environmental impact. 

All the in-store furniture is made from recycled materials such as wood for furniture and paper. It is designed for maximum flexibility and minimum waste with adjustable shelves to fit different product assortments and changeable side panels that mean that the messaging can be changed to highlight different brands and sustainability proof points. 

NITR has also designed a cross-category solution for coffee and chocolate enabling consumers to make sustainable cross-category choices. The company believes that its TWG concept could easily encompass multiple categories in the longer term. 

“In fact, we have been discussing the possibility of joint initiatives and campaigns with our retail partners to support their sustainability objectives and strategy,” Dryburgh adds.

“The concept was very well received in Cannes by our retail partners as it provides a flexible space-efficient system that can support multiple brands and categories and showcase the retailers' commitment to sustainability in an impactful way.”

Visit nestlecocoaplan.com for more info.

Nestlé SA is on the current Candy Industry “Global Top 100 Candy Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Global Top 100” rankings.