Swedishness on the Move: Cloetta’s Travel Retail Makeover
5 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
Cloetta has been a familiar name in Nordic travel retail for years – but what comes next looks very different.
Backed by a refreshed strategy, a sharper sense of “Swedishness” and a portfolio stepping out from behind The Jelly Bean Factory, Cloetta is gearing up for a bigger, bolder, more culturally anchored presence in global travel retail.
In conversation with TRunblocked’s Colleen Morgan, Cloetta Head of Travel Retail Carsten Wulff defines the thinking, the ambition and the sweet spot the company intends to claim in the channel.
Colleen Morgan (CM): Cloetta Travel Retail has been steadily building its footprint in global travel retail. How would you describe your current presence in the channel, and what are the major changes we can expect as your new strategy takes shape?
Carsten Wulff (CW): Cloetta Travel Retail has built a solid and visible presence across the Nordic region – and to some extent, in broader Europe. Yet only a fraction of our full portfolio has been visible globally. For many years, The Jelly Bean Factory has taken centre stage due to its strong international recognition.
That is precisely what we are now ready to change.
As our new strategy takes shape, travellers and retailers will begin to see a far more diverse and authentic representation of who Cloetta are and our belief in the Power of True Joy.
We will move from being known primarily for one global brand to showcasing the full richness of our Swedish heritage and the many iconic brands that define it.
In other words, our presence won’t just grow – it will evolve. We’re shifting from familiarity to a footprint built on cultural identity, storytelling and a Swedishness we know global travellers are ready to discover.
CM: As you bring “Swedishness” to the world, what should retailers and travellers expect next from Cloetta Travel Retail in terms of brand storytelling, activations, and category vision?
CW: Our mission is to show the world why Swedish candy is irresistible.
Introducing new products on a global scale naturally requires strong commitment and hard work. But with many years of experience in Travel Retail, we are confident the world is ready for a taste of Swedishness.
Retailers and travellers can expect more purposeful storytelling, engaging activations, and a clear category vision that brings the authenticity, playfulness, and heritage of our brands to life.
CM: You’ve identified four ‘superbrands’ as the pillars of your future direction. What makes these brands so significant, and how do they embody Cloetta’s mission to bring authentic “Swedishness” and “true joy” to travelling consumers worldwide?
CW: It’s important to mention that Cloetta has ten Superbrands – seven within candy and chocolate, two within pastilles & gum and one within Pick & Mix, representing over 50% of the annual net sales.
Out of those ten, we selected four – Malaco, Kex, Redband, Ahlgrens Bilar – for travel retail because they each represent a different facet of Swedishness: craftsmanship, quality, playfulness and simplicity.
They embody the emotional experience we want to deliver. Swedishness is not just about responsible ingredients and sustainability; it’s about moments of delight, comfort and discovery.
By building our future around these four pillars, we offer travellers an authentic taste of Sweden and create meaningful connections that go beyond the product itself.
CM: The Jelly Bean Factory has long been central to your airport activations. How does this brand fit within your new strategy?
CW: The Jelly Bean Factory has been essential to our Travel Retail journey. It opened doors, built distribution, and created partnerships we might not otherwise have had.
It will remain a core brand with strong global awareness, and we see significant opportunities to keep building momentum.
However, our renewed strategy brings us back to our roots. This means emphasising our Nordic portfolio, which holds tremendous untapped potential. As we elevate our local icons and introduce more travellers to Swedish confectionery, The Jelly Bean Factory will complement this by strengthening our overall category presence and driving traffic and engagement.
CM: What trends are you seeing in your research, and how are these shaping your innovation pipeline and NPD strategy?
CW: We are seeing a clear shift in consumer expectations: higher demand for vegan products, natural flavours and items free from artificial colours.
Our Travel Retail exclusives consistently perform best. Travellers choose products that feel indulgent yet responsible, and this is shaping our innovation pipeline.
We focus on developing items that meet modern dietary preferences while delivering the joyful experience our brands are known for.
In short, we’re innovating with purpose: staying true to our heritage while responding directly to what travellers are telling us they want next.
CM: Cloetta Travel Retail offers around 50 travel retail exclusive items. Tell us about recent launches such as Sweet Journey for Malaco and the Duo Tower for the Cloetta brand.
CW: Both of our launches for 2026 will be Travel Retail Exclusives.
The English Winegums Duo Tower extends our existing exclusive towers and reflects exactly where we’re heading: products travellers can only find in this channel, meeting demand for thoughtful ingredients, responsible indulgence and premium gifting.
Sweet Journey was created because we identified a gap for products resonating with families and across age groups. We wanted something playful, shareable and versatile – a concept travellers could enjoy together.
We’re also seeing strong growth in the value-for-money segment. Sweet Journey adds that extra layer by integrating family fun, ensuring the experience continues even after the candy is gone.
Both launches are designed specifically for Travel Retail: eye-catching, purposeful and centred around joyful moments travellers can share.
CM: How does Cloetta Travel Retail differentiate from global competitors?
CW: Cloetta differentiates through something global competitors can’t replicate: authentic Swedishness and the emotional experience that comes with it. Our brands are cultural icons shaped with generations of Nordic consumers.
We focus on “spreading true joy” – creating moments that feel playful and genuine, whether through product formats, activations or small details that make travellers smile. We also differentiate through conscious consumption: vegan options, natural flavours and exclusive formats designed around what modern travellers want – indulgence with intention.
While competitors compete on scale, we compete on authenticity, emotion and experience.
CM: If you had the power to change three things in global travel retail’s landscape tomorrow, what would they be, and why?
CW: First: category curation. Confectionery can create emotion, memories and delight, yet it is still too often treated as an impulse add-on.
Second: industry-wide adoption of smarter, digitalised labelling. QR-code solutions would reduce packaging waste, simplify compliance and give consumers instant information in their preferred language. It would also dramatically increase speed-to-market when updating recipes or claims.
Finally, a rebalancing of the category mindset. Chocolate has long dominated gifting in Travel Retail, but shopper habits are evolving. More travellers buy for themselves and want products that feel playful, surprising and easy on-the-go.
Sugar confectionery has huge potential. With the right packaging, format and story, it can be just as giftable – and often more emotionally engaging.
By broadening the definition of gifting, we increase relevance, boost innovation and build an assortment that reflects how travellers shop today. Ultimately, it allows us to deliver on what matters most: Spreading True Joy.
