The Skross Travel Retail Vision and Mission. Sam Gerber and Stephen Worden Interviewed.

Introduction by: Peter Marshall

Another exclusive for TRunblocked.com, this being the first of a two-part video feature that provides unique insights into Skross, the fast-growing business for travel retail accessories in the Travel Retail channel. With 50% of the company’s business in TR – a percentage far higher than most other companies – Managing Director Sam Gerber knows what it takes to survive and thrive in what is arguably a commodity market for his products.

They stand out, for sure, and are globally recognised for their remarkable quality. But these two videos are definitely not just about their products. The focus is on other key industry issues, too. We talk at length about collaboration, how genuine it is, or whether it is just one-way traffic dictated by the travel retail operators. And which retailers are getting Skross’s category right? It doesn’t exactly offer the same retail sex as P & C, spirits or fashion, does it? Do retailers actually understand the travel retail accessories category well enough? We also talk about the importance of data sharing, lost sales opportunities and which KPI’s are king.

Then we discuss whether the wider TR business is approaching a tipping point where brands may consider withdrawing altogether because of the margins demanded and the overall costs of doing business in this channel. No one wants this, of course, but there is a case for reimagining in-store layouts, even for Travel Retail accessories like adaptors, cables etc., which could be a starting point.

Skross’s declared ambition is to be the number one in the travel retail accessories business. Stephen Worden, newly placed as Head of Business Development, answers the question over the timeline to achieve this goal and points towards how the business category itself can be grown and how Skross can support.

There’s a great deal of ground covered in this video and it makes for compelling viewing. Part two comes out tomorrow.