Pure Indulgence 2
What did it mean for you to win the Frontier Award for Star Product of the Year?
First it was unexpected – it was our first participation with the Café-Tasse brand. We are very honoured – both Café-Tasse and myself. It underlines the effectiveness of the teamwork of Café-Tasse and Francis
Selection GmbH. It meant a recognition of the exclusive presentation of the brand/products of Café-Tasse, which deserves to be present in all major duty free shops.
What developments has your company undertaken since last October?
Both Café-Tasse and Francis Selection GmbH have had exceptional results in 2006, and it looks like 2007 will be even better. Both can now be considered as internationally active in the duty free trade with customers in Europe, the Middle East and in the Far East.
Did winning the award change anything in terms of business opportunities and recognition, and if so, how?
Yes, definitely. The winning of this Award has increased tremendously the knowledge of the brand amongst the top managers of the international operators. Two examples: both Mrs Chavanney Wilson (Tourvest, South Africa) and Alessandra Piovesana (Nuance-Watson HK) were present at the Awards evening... and we already obtained two listings for Café-Tasse (South African Airways & Air Namibia) and will be listed by Nuance- Watson soon.
Are you planning on entering the Frontier Awards again this year?
Yes, we want to present a new product from Noble Chocolates – Prestige Box 200g – exclusively for travel retail/duty free. Francis Selection GmbH has been appointed the exclusive distributor worldwide duty free for this Belgian-quality chocolatier since March 2007. We have introduced the brands to a few important duty free shops in Europe.
What opportunities are available to Francis Selection, and how do you plan on making the most of them? Due to the fact that we listen to the trade and ask them for specific needs in the chocolate sector, we find new opportunities. We are a small and very flexible company with contacts in the chocolate industry in Belgium as well as in Switzerland, and this gives us the possibility to create new products which are requested by the trade.
What are the challenges you face and what is your strategy to overcome them?
The challenge is that we are a small and young
company competing in a world of multinational companies in the duty free world. But because we are small and inventive we become very attractive to duty free operators because we offer high quality and exceptionally good-looking products in a ‘niche’ segment. This helps them to increase their turnover and upgrade the chocolate segment.
What are your short- and long-term objectives?
Short: continue to introduce our two main chocolate brands and develop their sales by staging tasting sessions. Long term: continue to search for new,
qualitative, high standing products suited for duty free operators.
Where would you like to see Francis Selection in 5-10 years’ time?
We would to be recognised by international duty free operators as a serious agent/distributor of high quality, niche-oriented chocolate products.
What makes Francis Selection different, and what are its competitive advantages?
We are different because we are small and flexible and willing to satisfy customer needs. We listen to the trade and then search in the chocolate industry to find the chocolatier and the product that will satisfy that need. n
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