02_singapore_2025_WEDNESDAY_ISSUE

Tax Free World Association 23-25, rue de Berri 75008 Paris France Tel : +33 1 40 74 09 86 Fax : +33 1 40 74 09 85 FranckWaechter Managing Director f.waechter@tfwa.com Cécile Lamotte Marketing Director c.lamotte@tfwa.com Produced by: Paul Hogan Publisher paul.hogan@tfwa-dailies.com Julian Bidlake Publication Director julian.bidlake@tfwa-dailies.com Ian Hill Associate Publisher ian.hill@tfwa-dailies.com Ross Falconer Editor ross.falconer@tfwa-dailies.com Jessica Mason Assistant Editor Phoebe Givron-Taylor Assistant Editor Grégory Dziedzic Head Designer Grant Pritchard Photographer photography@grantpritchard.co.uk PPS Publications Ltd post@pps-publications.com © PPS Publications Ltd 2025 T he “first and finest camel milk chocolate” might be unique in its own right, but it has also been swept further along by the global demand sparked by the Dubai chocolate phenomenon. “We’ve gone from double-digit to triple-digit growth – its skyrocketing!” reports Marrah Van Almsick, Travel Retail Manager. “Chocolate has become another of those big global things that Dubai has become internationally known for – like Emirates and Dubai Duty Free before it – and they are dynamically linked together.” While camel milk chocolate is exotic, it boasts what Van Almsick calls “70-year-old traditions of chocolate-making and the shortest possible list of ingredients in the world.” Now operating as two brands – “reasonably priced” Samha, and the premium Al nassma, the camel milk chocolate is now widely stocked in GTR on a band stretching across the world “fromMarrakech to Tashkent”. Van Almsick particularly thinks that Samha camel milk chocolate dates will strong appeal in Asia – “nowmuch- recognised as a superfood, dates have a brilliant future – everywhere.” Basement 2 / 2-H30 L oacker may have reached its first century, but it is still innovating and growing the family with the apparently constant reinvention of the chocolate and hazelnut cream-enthused wafer. The most recent launch featured the “Chocolaterie” – available in a 114g SKU featuring 12 milk or dark chocolate wafers and, according to Communication Manager Martina Oberkofler, selling fast in GTR. Loacker has further launches planned this year benefitting from the trademark hazelnut filling which now features up to 30% content from its own Tuscan hazelnut orchards, established in 2011. We’re told to expect this proportion to grow. While Singapore is a long way from Loacker’s home in Bolzano, Italy where Alfons Loacker first opened his own pastry shop in 1925 – you can still come and celebrate a century of Loacker – with a slice of cake of course – on the Loacker exhibit at 17:00 today. Basement 2 / 2-G18 Dubai chocolate effect is gift fromHeaven” Loacker – still reinventing thewafer at 100 Wednesday 14 May 2025 30 T F W A D A I L Y