Member interview: Priscilla Beaulieu, Millennium Fragrances

Juggling the demands of business and family life is never easy, but children play a large role in both for Priscilla Beaulieu. Her fragrance brands for youngsters have carved a successful niche in travel retail, and parenthood keeps her in touch with her core market. We asked her how she does it.

How long have you been working in travel retail and how did you start?

Priscilla Beaulieu: Together with my husband Frédéric, I launched a new fragrance brand for children in 2000. We attended Cannes that year and the brand, Kaloo, caught the attention of several duty-free buyers who liked the idea of a gift that time-poor parents on business trips could buy for their kids. From the start, our travel retail business has grown alongside domestic sales, rather than as an afterthought.

What role does travel retail play for your company?

It represents about 30% of our business today, much higher than usual for fragrances. Our three brands, Kaloo, Clayeux and Kokeshi, are all aimed at children or teenagers and are available in over 300 duty free stores and on board 36 airlines. The kids’ and juniors’ segment works well in travel retail, either for gifting from ‘guilty’ parents or as a treat to keep the peace when the whole family travels!

Counterfeit is a growing problem in travel retail. Do you think it important for TFWA to address this with initiatives such as the forthcoming meeting in Cannes?

This is a constant headache for our industry, especially when travellers are targeted. There’s a pressing need for everyone in the business – retailers, landlords and brand-owners – to educate travellers and alert them to the danger of counterfeit at their destination. If we don’t do this, passengers may be tempted to buy fake goods on the domestic market rather than the genuine article in duty free. Travel retail as a whole needs to work with the UN, Interpol and other organisations to fight counterfeit.

Outside work, what do you get passionate about?

Our daughters, Wyvine (14) and Hermine (11), are a constant source of inspiration for us both – I worked on the design of the Kaloo pack while still in maternity hospital after Wyvine’s birth! So spending time at home with the girls comes top of the list. Travelling is something else I enjoy (just as well in this job!) and it’s fun visiting flea markets, museums and galleries. Finally, I love pop art for its humour and colour.

Tickets to Roland Garros, the Opéra Bastille or a table at the best restaurant in town – which would you choose?

I like good food and cooking, so it would have to be the best restaurant in town…