Mars selects Alpha Kreol for inaugural Indian Duty Free Confectionery Retailer of the Year Award

He continued: “In the late 1980s/early 1990s I could see that there was an opportunity to sell top confectionery brands to returning Indian travellers on arrival but my pleas fell on deaf ears, and that opportunity was never taken.

Mars recognises Alpha Kreol’s retailing excellence

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“From Mars company research we know that the Indian traveller loves to buy gifts, and that one of the most popular gift items is confectionery. We know in Dubai and Singapore that the top nationality for confectionery sales is Indians.

“So it makes sense that returning Indians would buy chocolates on arrival– but only under certain key conditions.

“The products must always be top brands, not readily available in India. They must always be available; they must be fresh and in perfect condition – not dripping off the shelves; and the price must be right, that is, comparable with the Gulf or Singapore.”

Bull paid tribute to Alpha and its partner at CIAL (Alpha Kreol), citing it as the only Indian airport retailer to consistently achieve these objectives.

To put that in context, Bull revealed that in 2007 CIAL retailed around US$1 million worth of Mars products, the vast majority of which were on arrival. Mars holds more than 50% of the confectionery category in CIAL. “Our partnership with both CIAL and Alpha Kreol goes from strength to strength,” he noted.

The award was accepted by CIAL Commercial Director V Suresh Babu, Lal Arakulath, Founder of Kreol Group and Director of Alpha Kreol, and Alpha Asia Managing Director Paul Topping.