E. Gluck Corporation veteran Rob Robertaccio launches travel retail brand consultancy

Former E. Gluck Corporation global travel retail leader Rob Robertaccio has established a new venture named International & Travel Retail Consultants (ITRC). The consultancy offers services to brands looking to break into or expand in the duty-free and travel retail markets.

New York-based Robertaccio performed a series of management roles at fashion watch specialist E. Gluck across more than 22 years, most recently spending over five years as Senior Vice President, Global Travel Retail.

He spoke to The Moodie Davitt Report about his new business, which also assists brands to expand into domestic markets through local distributors and retailers, and the opportunities and challenges he sees in travel retail.

Robertaccio brings significant channel know-how, having taken the E. Gluck brand from a handful of travel retail listings in just a few markets to multiple listings worldwide.

“The E. Gluck business was established in travel retail with just a few retail operators when I took over management of it,” he told us. “Through a successful marketing and brand-building campaign, along with our participation in various conferences and trade shows, I was able to expand that business significantly and at a very reasonable cost.

“I was able to develop effective ways to gain exposure in the travel retail industry and quickly gain market share.”

Asked what key skills he will bring to his new venture, Robertaccio pointed to “an open mindedness to look at many paths forward to succeed”.

“I am also very bottom line focused,” he added. “With E. Gluck, I learned how to stretch marketing dollars and approach everything through a sense of partnership. This is not a one-sided business. I have been fortunate to build strong relationships with many operators and brands alike.

“I study what other brands do and have learned to emulate their success and mitigate their mistakes in the go-to-market strategies that I develop. I strongly believe that you need to have a well thought out plan to succeed. This industry is so much more than just having a great product, as you cannot win on that alone.”

A fast-changing channel

He highlighted managing the rapid pace of change in travel retail as one of the keys to brand success. “We seem to have a much more rapid pace of airports changing terminal operators and the same for cruise ships,” he commented. “The targets seem to keep moving like never before. But I still believe with all the new challenges and change, this is still one of the greatest industries for growth.

“Much has changed since pre-COVID – we need to be thinking outside the box all the time now. And it’s not just the brands that need to think differently but the operators as well.”

Robertaccio noted he is initially targeting client brands from fashion accessory categories such as jewellery, eyewear and small leathergoods, but added that his existing relationships with major operators allow him to also work outside those product segments.

“Since I have established ITRC, I am flattered to have received requests to work with brands from many other categories like skincare, electronics and mobile phone accessories, even a wine company,” he revealed. “I should have some new announcements to make about partnering with some of these in the very near future.”

Prime opportunities

Cruise retail and inflight are two channels that Robertaccio intends to help client brands break into and he also pointed to the opportunities in developing airport retail markets in India and Africa.

He said, “Cruise continues to be an area of opportunity, especially with the number of new ships being built and the tremendous size of the retail space being added.

“I also think that inflight retail is often a missed opportunity. At one time it was a business I did not fully understand, living in the USA. It’s not a category that is as meaningful here as in other countries, but as I learned it, it turned out to be a business with tremendous value.

“It’s not an easy business to make a profit with, but its marketing value to expose a brand or an item is tremendous. I tell brands that in a worst-case scenario, you are paying for magazine-type advertising with product and not money.

“In a best-case scenario, you have a listing that can live for years and accomplish both profit and brand exposure, creating opportunities in other travel retail segments that you may not have been in.”

Further discussing brand profitability in travel retail, Robertaccio added: “The word ‘profitable’ means many different things to many different people. Travel retail does not always come with the richest margins, but it is new untapped business for most brands that I speak with.

“This is where having a strategy comes into play. We might not be able to sell every item in a collection. We need to evaluate uniqueness and value proposition.

“I always ask if there is a willingness to develop travel retail exclusives. This creates an immediate call to action as part of their value proposition. Driving volume has a way of offsetting slimmer margins, if approached properly, and that is where I can help.”

A long-term view

Offering his strategy advice to new brands considering entering travel retail, Robertaccio highlighted the need for patience.

“If you plan to be successful within six months of executing a strategy, then this is not a business for you. You do not need to spend tons of money, but you do need to give yourself time.”

He concluded by discussing his long-term ambitions for the ITRC venture: “I like to take a one-day-at-a-time approach, but I would love this to grow into a portfolio of brands across many categories, almost giving the operators a one-stop shop to find the best offerings for their retail concepts.

“I don’t want to be just that place that brands come to for help. I want to be a place for the operators to come to ask for guidance on the newest and best brands and categories as well.

“I also hope to build this consultancy into a larger team of experts, but while never losing the personal touch which has allowed me to build the relationships that I value so much.”