Cannes_2026_TUESDAY_ISSUE_DIGITAL

A t this year’s TFWA World Exhibition & Conference, Lattafa Perfumes is making its most deliberate case yet for travel retail. Abdul Rahim Shaikh, COO and Creative Director, spoke with the TFWA Daily about the momentum behind the brand, the launches carrying its case into the channel, the discipline behind its channel strategy and why travel retail is where a global house drives new experiences for an already aware and engaged fanbase. Lattafa Perfumes’ key objective at TFWA World Exhibition & Conference is to convert brand recognition into a new successful partnership. “For an international fragrance brand, expanding footprint to where international travellers discover is important for the omni-channel experience the brand aims to curate for the shoppers,” Abdul Rahim Shaikh explains. “We are not new to this room, we have exhibited in Cannes and Singapore since 2024 but presence at a show and presence on shelf are two different things. Travel retail is the one channel where Lattafa is under-represented relative to the demand our consumers already generate and closing that gap is the entire purpose of the week. The conversations we want are with operators ready to build a genuine, ongoing partnership around listings, not just an introduction.” Lattafa Perfumes is showcasing 8+ launches, chosen to demonstrate range rather than repeat a single idea. The portfolio is built for a wide range of international shoppers, which is precisely what a duty free assortment has to serve. “Fahad anchors the line-up,” says Abdul Rahim Shaikh. “It is an Oriental Fougère built around power under control, carried by the panther motif and read as restraint rather than force. It is the most complete expression of where our masculine portfolio is going. Petra Viola works at the opposite end of the register, whimsical, self-assured and designed for a shopper who wants a soft, balanced fragrance without apology. Beyond Precious is a floriental fruity fragrance with a wedding-like intimacy for the bride-to-be: timeless, precious and deeply personal. Alongside those, Fearless, Lattafa in Cannes: Turning recognition into distribution Falsafaat and Pulp while the Give Me Gourmand collection continues to build, with two additions that extend the collection’s territory – Matcha Swirl and Harlequin Cream.” The priority for Lattafa Perfumes this year is a core range that is listed, visible and performing in duty free. “When we bring exclusives to this channel, which is planned, they will be built for it rather than adapted into it,” Abdul Rahim Shaikh explains. Indeed, travel retail is strategically important for Lattafa Perfumes. “It settles the question of whether a brand is genuinely international or simply exported,” says Abdul Rahim Shaikh. “A traveller in Singapore, Frankfurt or Dubai meets the brand on neutral ground, without a home market advantage to lean on. Lattafa is a global fragrance house that happens to be built in Dubai and travel retail is the channel where that reads most clearly. We can mention that we see this platform as a brand discovery, geographic expansion.” Commenting on trends in travel retail, Abdul Rahim Shaikh highlights that brands increasingly debut in travel retail and move into domestic distribution afterwards, rather than the reverse. “Alongside that, demand for travel formats and channel-specific variants keeps rising. We are the manufacturer, so our development cycle is short enough to build tailored SKUs in months rather than seasons. That is the real advantage we bring an operator, not a catalogue and the unique ability to meet a specific shopper with a specific product.” Abdul Rahim Shaikh concludes by highlighting what an operator listing Lattafa should expect in the first 12 months. “Strong consumer pull that converts and generates rate of sale, along with agility of being the brand and the manufacturer hence response time to channel and shopper demands.” RedVillage L10 Tuesday 29 September 2026 44 T F W A D A I L Y