Press Releases

Leading travel accessories supplier Travel Blue has reached a new distribution agreement with Valora Retail, effective 1 October.

A division of Valora Holdings, Valoria Retail runs convenience stores and kiosks in Switzerland, Germany and Luxembourg and has a strong presence through airports and train stations. Its offer includes press products, books, tobacco goods, food and non-food products as well as services.

Travel Blue, through its local distribution partner NME, will be delivering its full range of travel accessories to some 40 Valora outlets including Zurich and Basel airports.

Travel Blue Germany GmbH Managing Director Eli Fe commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to have reached this agreement with Valora, which is a key player in the convenience retail market in Europe and particularly Switzerland.

“Previously Valora has been distributing an alternative range of travel accessories but has decided to make the change to Travel Blue because of our total concept, service support, and effective retail performance. It’s a significant distribution agreement for us and we’re very much looking forward to working with Valora and NME,” he added.

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Major travel accessories brand, Travel Blue, has announced the promotion of Jonathan Smith to Director of Travel Retail, with immediate effect.

Jonathan has been with Travel Blue for three years and this year celebrates his 27th year attending the Tax Free World Exhibition.

“We have always had a policy of trying to promote from within our organisation. We are delighted with the increased distribution that Jonathan has achieved since joining us, not only in travel retail, but also through his additional responsibilities in managing distributors in key countries in the Far East,” says Founder and Managing Director Avi Levin.

Travel Blue is exhibiting at TFWA World Exhibition again this year (Red Village stand M24) showing its extensive range of more than 250 Travel Accessories, now sold in over a thousand outlets in 98 countries via retailers including Heinemann, Dufry, World Duty Free Group, DFS, LS Travel Retail, Nuance and several other major operators.

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Jonathan Smith has been named Travel Blue director of travel-retail with immediate effect

Accessories supplier Travel Blue has announced that Jonathan Smith (pictured) has been promoted to director of travel-retail with immediate effect. Smith has worked for the company for the past three years and this year celebrates his 27th year attending the Tax Free World Association World Exhibition.

“We have always had a policy of trying to promote from within our organisation,” said Travel Blue founder and managing director Avi Levin. “We are delighted with the increased distribution that Jonathan has achieved since joining us, not only in travel-retail, but also through his additional responsibilities in managing distributors in key countries in the Far East.”

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The company will be headed by Michael Cocherell, who will be responsible for developing business in the Americas

Travel accessories supplier Travel Blue has established its own company in the US to cover the Americas. The company is being headed by Michael Cocherell, who is based out of Miami, Florida. Cocherell has experience on the retailer side with duty-free shoppers and suppliers such as Mars and in corporate gifts through Bravanta.

Travel Blue managing director Avi Levin said: “Due to the importance of the Americas, we believe we have to service these key markets with our own company rather than use a third-party distributor. We already have a good business in the region and part of the reason for opening a US-based operation is to improve even further the level of service we offer to our clients.

“We’re delighted to welcome Michael to the Travel Blue team. He will play an integral role in the development of our business in the Americas. We received a very positive reaction to the brand and gained some key leads, as well as new business, at the recent Travel Goods show in Las Vegas.”

http://www.dfnionline.com/article/Travel-Blue-sets-up-US-company-1862410.html

The agreement will boost the supplier’s presence in the Americas duty-free and travel-retail market

Travel accessories supplier Travel Blue has signed a new agreement to supply Dufry Group and its subsidiary Hudson Group globally with its products. The company has worked with the retailers for a number of years in selected locations, and the new deal is expected to boost its presence in the Americas duty-free and travel-retail market.
The company will return to the Duty Free Show of the Americas this year with a larger booth “to reflect its commitment to growth in the region”, it added in a statement. Travel Blue’s duty-free customers include Gebr Heinemann, Sunrise Duty Free, The Nuance Group and Dubai Duty Free.>/div>

Travel Blue head of global travel-retail Jonathan Smith (pictured) said: “Travel Blue has proved its ability to supply and, as important, to service clients all over the world. Becoming a global supplier to Dufry and Hudson is an acknowledgment of Travel Blue’s ability and expertise to work with major duty-free operators, offering the complete package of high sales per square foot, competitive margins and an excellent level of service.”

http://www.dfnionline.com/article/Travel-Blue-signs-new-Dufry-and-Hudson-deal-1861899.html

Travel accessories specialist Travel Blue says that it has experienced significant expansion over the last 12 months within the travel retail sector and buyers have appreciated the company's wide product offer - plus its FREE LOST FOUND service, which assists consumers in finding lost luggage items.

The company's Head of Travel Retail, Jonathan Smith says that the Asia Pacific region continues to offer real potential for the company: "Our appearance at the TFWA Asia Pacific show last year resulted in important business gains for the company with certain international duty free operators in this region. We're confident of further consolidating and expanding our business within the region at the show this year."

The company says that buyers visiting the stand next month will be presented with an extensive range of travel accessories and laptop luggage, including a number of new additions to the region.

For business travellers, the new range of laptop bags features multiple zipped pockets for carrying stationary and important documents, business cards, credit cards and lots more.

These bags all come with a detachable shoulder strap for 'easy carrying', along with a saddle strap to securely fasten the bag to trolleys.

A WIDE PORTFOLIO

The range also includes a new collection of luggage accessories such as Neon Name Tags, 'which make the tedious and time consuming process of identifying luggage much easier'. The tags come in three different colours; neon purple, neon green and neon yellow which Travel Blue says 'easily attach to a suitcase'.

Two new retractable volume control earphone products also join the line-up, available with a padded pouch in which to store devices such as cameras, mp3s, or mobile phones. There is also an additional pocket for storing credit cards, money or keys. This also comes with a belt loop so the pouch can be secured onto the consumer's clothing.

PEACE OF MIND..

Last but not least, Travel Blue products include the company's 'FREE-LOST-FOUND' service, which gives the consumer the comfort of knowing that his/her valuables can be traced and found all over the world. The company adds that this service is completely free of charge for customers and consumers alike.

This year Travel Blue is celebrating its 25th anniversary of being one of the industry's leading suppliers of travel accessories and laptop bags, with a renewed commitment to "Corporate Social Responsibility." The company and its products can be found at the TFWA Asia Pacific Singapore exhibition next month on stand D1:

http://www.trend-news.com/default.asp?newsid=9811

By Melody Ng, Asia Bureau Chief

INTERNATIONAL. Travel Blue is returning to the TFWA Asia Pacific show in Singapore next month with an expanded offer for Asian buyers (Stand number: D1). The past 12 months have seen significant expansion for the travel accessories specialist, and the Asia Pacific region continues to offer real potential. Travel Blue Head of Travel Retail Jonathan Smith said: "Our appearance at the TFWA Asia Pacific show last year resulted in important business gains for the company with certain international duty free operators in this region. We're confident of further consolidating and expanding our business within the region at the show this year." Buyers visiting the stand will be presented with an extensive range of travel accessories and laptop luggage, including a number of new additions to the region. [Click through The Moodie Report Picture Gallery below for a preview] For business travellers, the new range of laptop bags features multiple zipped pockets for carrying stationary, important documents, business cards, and credit cards. The bags all come with a detachable shoulder strap for easy carrying easier along with a saddle strap to securely fasten the bag to trolleys.

Also being launched is Travel Blue's new range of luggage accessories, including the new Neon Name Tags which make the process of identifying luggage much easier. The tags come in three different colours – neon purple, neon green and neon yellow – and can be easily attached to a suitcase.

Two new retractable volume control ear phone products also join the line-up. Both come complete with a padded pouch for storing devices e.g. camera, MP3 player or mobile phone. There is also an additional pocket for storing credit cards, money or keys. This also comes with a belt loop so the pouch can be secured onto the user's clothing.

Travel Blue products include their Free-Lost-Found service, which allows the consumer to trace and find their valuables all over the world. This service is completely free of charge for customers and consumers alike, which Travel Blue believes is a real added value for travellers.

For enquiries, contact Jonathan Smith, tel: +44 845 10 88588, fax: +44 845 10 88848, or e-mail: jonathan@travel-blue.com.

http://www.moodiereport.com/document.php?c_id=30&doc_id=27007

Enhancing travel experience since last 25 years, global leader in travel accessories “Travel Blue” now enters the Indian market. With a broad spectrum of over 250 travel accessories, Travel Blue is aimed at travels either by sea, air or land making its mark across the world including countries like Europe, Middle East, Far East, Africa, Asia, North America and Latin America.

Travel Blue has launched a unique web based concept that has been designed to benefit all its customers. All Travel Blue products will have an individual identification number, enabling the owner to reunite with their Travel Blue product by registering the identification code on the website. Travel Blue is the first travel accessories company in the world to offer this unique “Lost & Found” service. This service is completely free.

The other products launched are:

• Digi Pouch (Rs. 575), Luggage Strap (Rs. 350), Micro Pearl neck Pillow (Rs. 795), The Mini Bag (Rs.595) and many more products.
• All Travel Blue products are available at Landmark, Odyssey, Reliance Footprint, The Bombay Store and Select counters at Mumbai Airports.

http://retail.franchiseindia.com/brand-updates/Travel-Blue-now-enters-India-246/

By Melody Ng, Asia Bureau Chief

UK. Travel Blue is celebrating 25 years as one of the industry’s leading providers of travel accessories and laptop bags with a renewed commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. The company offers some 300 travel accessories and laptop luggage items to the travel retail and domestic sector, with a client base that includes Gebr Heinemann, Karstadt, Metro, Carrefour, King Power, Nuance, Dufry and Relay.

"We believe that, beyond selling, we have the responsibility to our environment and society," said Travel Blue Chairman Avi Levin. "As a company we are putting at the top of our agenda the interests of everyone who has a stake in what we are doing."

To that end Travel Blue is making a pledge to reduce the use of non-recyclable materials and to use as much recycled material in its packaging as possible.

"Today Travel Blue has implemented its company philosophy by using more than 70% recycled material in its packaging," Levin underlined. "Additionally, in the printing process it uses Soya-based environmentally friendly ink. Our target for the next five years is to increase the percentage of recycled material to 80% in 2013 and 85% by 2015."

In 2009 the company introduced its Free-Lost-Found service, which gives the consumer the comfort of knowing that his/her valuables can be traced and found all over the world. This service is completely free of charge for customers and consumers alike, which Travel Blue believes is a real added value for travellers.

Travel Blue claims that comparative tests with competitive brands have shown that stocking the Travel Blue range can increase sales by up to +25%.

"The quality and variety of our product range, our commitment to environmentally friendly packaging and our Free-Lost-Found service are a powerful combination for airport retailers," said Travel Blue Head of Travel Retail Jonathan Smith.

http://www.moodiereport.com/document.php?c_id=30&doc_id=26307