Daniel Wellington put more focus to boosts travel retail sector

Daniel Wellington is strengthening its expansion in global travel retail, opening more than 35 stores in key travel destinations during the past six months.

Helen Wong, head of travel retail at Daniel Wellington said that the watch brand has consolidated its brand image in travel this year through stronger collaborations and exclusive concepts.

“We are approaching the travel retail experience not only on a product level, through our new Daniel Wellington travel retail-exclusive products, but also through elevated brand concept environments,” she said.

“Thanks to stronger collaborations with our partners and popular demand from our fans, we have been able to present the brand in creative and engaging pop ups and shops-in-shops this year, with more exciting spaces to come.”

The company opened at Shenzhen Bao’an Airport last month, marking the first Daniel Wellington boutique in a travel retail location at a Chinese airport.

In Malaysia, the brand has partnered with Dufry to open at the Genting Highlands integrated resort, northeast of Kuala Lumpur.

And in Thailand, Daniel Wellington has signed the lease for its first store, to be opened at Chiang Mai in partnership with local duty-free retailer King Power.

Travel is also on the agenda in South Korea, where the brand is consolidating its presence with renovation projects planned across 16 locations, including in Seoul, Incheon, Busan and Jeju. The brand is also targeting premium destinations and has designed a new furniture concept specially for travel retail locations.

Other travel retail openings this year include a first store in Cam Ranh Airport, which serves the popular Vietnamese tourist destination of Nha Trang.

Besides opening stores in travel-related locations, Daniel Wellington has developed products exclusive to these stores this year, including the Classic Cambridge 36mm style modelled on the 40mm size, one of the brand’s first styles launched.

Wong said the company’s greatest focus during coming months will be to solidify the brand awareness through controlled distribution and a global social media strategy for travel retail.