Meet Elena Bloothoofd, Founder, Brands of Style. There Are No Limits To Her Passion For Travel Retail.
9 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
I must say I have a very healthy respect for Elena’s approach to Travel Retail. Since setting up Brands of Style in 2015, she has forged a unique path for her business and many clients through a unique commercial model coupled with her real understanding of what it takes to stay in the game. In her own words: “We turn ideas into possibilities, possibilities into opportunities, and opportunities into fresh revenue and satisfied customers”.
It’s a great interview and I particularly like – and wholly endorse – the 3 things (actually more than 3) she wants to communicate to the travel retail industry at the end. Strong stuff and entirely valid.
Peter Marshall (PM): Welcome to TRunblocked.com Elena. I want to start our interview by asking you this: just how do you decide which brands or clients to work with?
Elena Bloothoofd (EB): As I am passionate about the brands I represent, I do not like to limit myself — there cannot be enough passion in the world! Recently, I was told I have too many brands and that focus would make us grow faster. That statement touches two things: quality and work-life balance — both essential to how we operate.
We have brands big and small, and so are our clients — from one-shop airports to mammoth cruise ships that are a village in themselves. Shelf space is the real estate in play, and demand is based on diversification and innovation.
It’s an art to listen and then consult. When we fill that space, we bring the required time based turnover while surpassing customer satisfaction with exciting and surprising products. This is our quality, over and over again.
It stems from our broad portfolio of curated brands and bespoke products, allowing us to fill any space. Our line-up does not compete within itself; the overlap is minimal — instead, it’s complementary. It makes us operate in a shop mindset, just as our clients do.
We can fill the shop; we can fill the counter — in all cases, business will be better as we bring the freshness that has its merit in Travel Retail. Without exception, our brands perform a cut above in high-street retail, with constant development and a strong media presence to boot.
Beyond these selection criteria, we only work within transparent and trustful relationships, mostly directly with brand owners. That gives us flexibility and the ability to tap into the heart of a brand and its roadmap.
If we cannot be the brand ambassador that brings the story to the consumer through our clients — we’re not interested. That’s part of our fun and our ethos. Combining this with our love of travel builds the shared passion with our brands and clients that makes for a warm and sustainable business.
PM: So what would you say is key in the relationship with your brands and clients?
EB: Good communication is everything. That being said, it’s just the base to create what truly binds our brand and client relationships — trust, pure and simple.
Other pillars include our transparent business model, being open and not shying away from the hard truths, and displaying genuine care for our family of brands as one would with family.
We are hands-on and deploy our arsenal of knowledge and network to bring any deal to success — without muddying the waters with small print or unnecessary steps in the process.
PM: What would you then say is your biggest point of difference?
EB: I’d have to say my business acumen. I come from a hardcore background in international retail that covers every aspect of opening shops across the world — and all the travel that came with it.
With two decades of brand development experience — from selecting raw materials and merchandising, to till-point operations, import/export, and customer service — I decided to offer the best practice of it all under my own flag.
Now, I get to work with many exciting brands, whose diversity and progress give me the richness I missed when focusing on just a select product line.
We still operate successfully in retail; however, during the pandemic, we noticed a shift in the Global Travel Retail (GTR) marketplace — a new Gen Z demographic emerged, and space opened up for sustainable products and true innovation.
We adjusted our focus toward Travel Retail and have been growing steadily ever since. Despite Travel Retail being the traditional launchpad for new products, it is also a slow moving sector, and persistence is key.
We keep our ear to the ground, spot opportunities early, and can slot in amazing products thanks to our strong, well-curated portfolio.
Practically speaking, we have created a huge point of difference with our platform travelretailbespoke.com, which acts as a discovery site for all GTR category managers, buyers, and marketers. It’s free and focused on specific information that applies to those professionals — think from brand identity to MOQ. With one-click selections like “RRP under €20” or “for kids,” it functions as a shop window, a buyers’ toolkit, or a hub of innovation. It is our central source and is unique in the GTR market space.
PM: So why do you think it is so hard to bring innovation in the Global Travel Retail space?
EB: Travel Retail is traditionally the space where newness gets introduced and promoted, where travellers expect to find the latest in fragrance, tech, and spirits. Add to that the Travel Retail Exclusives, and you’ll wonder why the contrary occurs.
As exciting as a new fragrance from one of the great perfume houses might seem, we always keep looking at the same old brands that occupy all the shelf space — missing out on true innovation by not inserting fresh brands and smart sustainable products that can genuinely excite the traveller.
That’s the answer right there. I often fight tooth and nail to get brands that are performing exceptionally well in high street — real groundbreakers and money makers — even just to be seen by our clients, let alone considered.
Imagine the surprise when the turnover and customer excitement prove it works, and my clients get converted one by one.
With that, I’d like to applaud my clients who have the instinct to dare to look beyond, filling their spaces with daring new products — making discoveries no longer a thing of the past, but a bright new future.
PM: How would you describe your commercial model, and what makes it effective?
EB: We get paid when we create. By taking only a cut of the deal, we work with focus and attention to detail. The goal is to create continuity and keep sales rolling onward. We aim to maintain the space and keep it innovative, so everyone remains a winner.
Some agents work on heavy retainers and exclusivity, stepping out after a launch — that’s not for us. Our ethos is to ensure the investment of all parties is sustainable and built on a shared future.
Our portfolio gains strength, and our knowledge deepens with every step of the way. We facilitate, supervise, and even clear goods where needed. We are not a go-between for the goods and funds; instead, we streamline the process between the brand and our client after delivering the best deal that works for all.
Bespoke product creation, staff training, amenities and conference representation are examples of extensions of our work. Our cultural sensitivity and global outreach are additional feats of strength.
PM: I note you represent many women-led brands — can you tell us something about that?
EB: Sometimes you realise things just happen organically. At the start of our Travel Retail– focused adventure, we tended to look at sustainability as a wishful feature, for instance.
However, along the way we found that all the brands we came to work with have super strong convictions regarding desirable features like organic ingredients, low carbon footprint, equality, and so many more. Of course, we list all these features on the travelretailbespoke.com platform.
It turns out a lot of women creators are at the bases of brands and products that incorporate what we are looking for to be successful in the GTR space. Some matches are just made in heaven, I guess.
It was only natural for me to join Women In Travel Retail (WITR), the fastest growing GTR association in the world, as we celebrated hitting over 900 members at the TFWA in Cannes recently. I am proud to be one of the mentors in this society of networking and empowerment.
PM: I know you have an extensive shop-floor background — can you tell us something that really stands out from that experience?
EB: Besides breaking ground many times by opening stores for classic British heritage brands from South Africa to Pakistan and many places in between, I am particularly proud of my team and winning the Customer Service Excellence award for our concession in Harrods.
Where customer satisfaction goes to extremes, one needs to do more than just shine brightest — it needs to be in your genes. Hence, I still work with the best people I was lucky to meet and manage over my career.
That has been and is always the true privilege; meeting and collaborating with professionals with heart and soul. That is what drives me through the harder times, and I’d like to thank them all heartily.
PM: OK, in which categories are you active, and how do you approach each one?
EB: Brands of Style has its strongest line-up in Bath & Beauty, with a close runner-up in Accessories & Lifestyle. F&B and Spirits are growing categories, and we are extra selective there as they are simply harder to succeed with.
We see a clear upward path for consumables within Beauty, which we tapped into early on. Supplements and the now trending Patches are taking more and better shelf space and will be a permanent presence from now on.
Comfort in travelling is increasingly sought after, and we can fill this growing demand with premium products. It requires a certain expertise in itself, one we consult on day to day.
For quite some time, we have stuck our neck out into uncharted territories such as Menopause Relief and Men’s Grooming. We found the market is still shy around certain topics, and we continue to educate clients on the benefits and strong commercial potential they hold for both new and seasoned travellers alike.
We like to think in terms of Quick and Slow Travel — airports and cruising — as they require varied strategies and customer approaches. How much time is there for storytelling and experience? What is the status of staff know-how? How can we support the introduction of newness to ensure a strong launch?
This is where our close relationship with brand creators comes in, as well as the specialized marketing partners we collaborate with.
PM: Moving on, how do you see wellness and self-care shaping travel retail in the future?
EB: Wellness and travel are becoming inseparable. Self-care has priority for all generations, from seasoned travellers to newcomers – and the career-makers in between are catching up. Arriving rested and energised is increasingly a matter of choice.
At many airport lounges and travel points, offerings are still outdated. There is huge potential in the “extra” — wellness, discovery, and experience — beyond the traditional essentials like F&B. Brands of Style aims to lead the change, educating, sharing stories, and creating a following.
We turn ideas into possibilities, possibilities into opportunities, and opportunities into fresh revenue and satisfied customers. Our eyes are on the present, our mind is in the future — opening doors to make the journey truly limitless.
PM: So where do you see Brands of Style in the coming years?
EB: We are reconnecting with our roots while looking ahead. With ever-changing demand, we are fuelling our CX and Sales Staff Training to help client teams meet customer expectations with skill and flair.
We notice that current staff-customer interaction and product knowledge can be one dimensional. Investing in training and inspiring teams is the fastest path to enhanced revenue, CX, and brand appreciation — for both brands and retailers.
Our portfolio will grow selectively and boldly, with the most room in Lifestyle and F&B. We will continue expanding the GTR footprint of our brands in a premium and sustainable manner, making them as successful as on the high street. The future household names of quality and wellness are right here at Brands of Style.
PM: One last question, Elena. If there are three things you want to communicate to the travel retail industry, what would they be?
EB: Fortune favours the bold. Be bold! Give the stage to incubate crazy new stuff. Remember: boring makes no memories. Earn your place in history.
Do yourself a huge favour and don’t be ghosting. It crumbles any reputation. That being said, ‘no’ is a perfect answer, one a party can move on with. A little feedback is actual heaven – it’s constructive, it means it’s been worth everyone’s time. Don’t hide and waste all our time – you will always be doubted going forward.
Implement before showing off. Instead of throwing around buzz words on stage and never actually putting them in place, react to new trends and showcase your findings with actual cases. Share your failures – it will make you look strong. Praise your collaborations – it will enhance the glory. And celebrate – never, ever, forget to celebrate.
