Leading destination jewellery specialist DENIZEN has revealed its travel retail strategy to elevate its position in the channel.
Key leadership appointments and new hires all form part of the company’s long-term strategic plans and expansion goals.
Notably, DENIZEN promoted Estelle Baumann to Chief Executive Officer to lead its strategic direction and the consolidation of the brand’s position within travel retail.
Prior to this role, Hong Kong-based Baumann spent seven years within the business as Managing and Operations Director.
DENIZEN noted that it is working to enhance its brand visibility through an extensive programme at all major travel trade events, including Baumann’s insight into the destination category on key panels.
This strategy is integral to the company’s approach to raising the brand’s visibility in the channel, DENIZEN added.
Baumann will lead the DENIZEN team at their stand at the upcoming TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference in Singapore next week (12-16 May).
For the first time, DENIZEN has also lent its support to the APTRA networking lunch in Singapore which will take place at The Tanglin Club on Sunday 12 May.
APTRA Executive Director Anne Kavanagh said: “We are delighted to work with new brands and bring innovation and dynamism to our industry. I am particularly delighted that DENIZEN – as a Hong Kong-based brand in the year of the Dragon – have chosen a particularly apt bracelet as a gift for guests coming to the APTRA lunch.”
Baumann commented: “2024 being the 40th Anniversary of TFWA and the 40th year of trading for DENIZEN, we felt that this was the time for us to bring our proposition fully to the travel retail market. In the past few months, we have entered new markets.
“In Asia we opened doors in Japan (from Okinawa to Hokkaido), Malaysia and Thailand. Our expansion is also underway in Latin America and Africa and working with our strategic advisor Sue Gosling, a well-respected industry veteran, we have had many fruitful discussions with some major travel retail retailers both on land and sea and hope to be making some major partnership announcements over the coming months.”
Baumann added: “We have a bold three-year strategic plan in place to benefit our travel retail partners and our employees, as well as the core DENIZEN business.
“We are investing in fresh processes and support for the travel retail channel in both Hong Kong and in the US. It puts people development, welfare and culture front and centre – alongside our continued investment in our sustainability goals and our proprietary data model.
“The business is growing fast, and we need to make sure leadership and talent match our vision and mission. A combination of expertise and passion is key to our growth. This is reflected in quality hires such as ex Dufry Global and Watches Jewellery Category Manager Leila Chouk joining our Sales Team as Senior Key Account Manager to give us the insight from a buying perspective as we approach our potential new partners.
“We create unforgettable travel memories with our partnership approach between our business and our partners. With central hubs in Hong Kong and Miami – and our expert eye on logistics – we deliver a curated collaborative approach for the jewellery and souvenir categories like no other.
“Investment in events such as IAADFS, TFWA Singapore and Cannes this year demonstrate the tenacity of the smaller brand to grow and own the destination category.”
Baumann concluded: “We are not standing still as the market leader and the combination of focused executive roles, high-calibre talent and our commitment to the sector means DENIZEN is live and pushing boundaries to match our ambitions and elevate the destination category in line with customer demands to new heights.” ✈
