Champagne Lanson readies its expansion

Champagne Lanson has reamplified its priorities for the global travel retail sector and highlighted plans to develop its presence across airlines and cruises. db looks at why its moves could be considered timely.

Champagne Lanson is no stranger to the importance of brand recognition. But it also identified a few of its values alongside business meetings with airlines. Indeed, as it attested, its next moves are intended to secure its position as a top-pouring brand in the sector.

Working together

Lanson has reassessed what underpins its reputation, Julie Renault, director of marketing communication and engagement at Champagne Lanson told db: “We decided in 1798 to put the Cross of the Order on each bottle of Champagne Lanson. So since this time, we redesigned this Red Cross. The Lanson Red Cross is also a symbol of our values, such as kindness.”

During the talks, the team at Lanson highlighted the importance of working together. How people power assists in expanding the business. And ways in which producing the best wine available has helped nudge discussions with growers towards quality at all times.

Renault explained: “In viticulture, we closely work with more than 450 growers, and it enables us also to have access to the best parcels of Champagne region.”

She pointed out that “freshness is really important in order to have very qualitative wines as well as a strong identity and a unique style of Champagne”.

According to Renault, “Lanson has lots of partnerships” and confirmed to db that “as well as in the domestic market with a lot of importers, the business also has travel retail activities with airlines”.

She observed that there are many relationships to oversee that are current, but also some that are afoot, where talks have already taken place and plans are at the ready.

Renault revealed: “We currently have some meetings with Lufthansa’s first class and we also have British Airways, Emirates, Qatar and Delta Airlines.”

Noting what was in situ while also hinting about other travel retail tie-ups for the Champagne house that were in the pipeline, Renault added: “We are working with Lagardère, Heinemann, Avolta, Qatar, Dubai Duty Free and lots of partners in the travel retail and we also work with the cruise lines. We are also listed at the MSC Italian ferries and that is a connection we are trying to develop.”

A renewed focus on GTR

At the start of the year, Lanson announced that Marian Geoffroy would be taking on the role of head of global travel retail and Japan for the Champagne house and, since then, the house has been refocusing its efforts on the platform.

Lanson is not the only Champagne house to increase its efforts in the global travel retail sector. During the summer of 2024, Moët Hennessy Travel Retail unveiled the first Les Caves de Champagne retail concept in the Americas at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport.

Recently, there has been disparity between shipments to the traditional markets within Europe and those further afield, like the US and Japan, the two most significant, both in terms of volume and value. Against the long-term trend, exports to third countries were down in August by 7.4% while markets within the EU were marginally up by 0.7%. All of these factors may be coming into play for the Champagne sector to be reassessing the global stage that is the travel retail marketplace.

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