Page 36 - TFWA World Exhibition and Conference 2025

INSIDER

with the Roberto Cavalli fashions and
fragrances, where he stayed until about
2012, when he joined with a company
launching Sharper Image into duty free.
This company became Duty Free Partners,
where Kattoura stayed, helping to open
stores, until 2015. This is when he joined
with Rouge, where he has successfully
built the chain from zero to 24 points of
sale across six islands and Tulum, Mexico.
Looking at his 40+ years working in
the Americas fashion, beauty and duty free
channels, Kattoura has learned several key
One of the more elaborate stores in Rouge’s Caribbean portfolio is the Maison complex opened in St. Croix in 2022. lessons about working in this market.
“Things change, distribution changes.
month in Miami, so we could vacation fashionable, and it was a good business The Caribbean has changed a lot, but if you
together, and there were many other decision to do elaborate launches at that haven’t been here since the beginning, you
stories,” he recounts. time, because it showed the retailers that if would never know it changed,” he argues.
“Through my travel for the fashion, I we were putting money behind the brand, According to Kattoura, such changes
had a lot of contacts in Paris, Monte Carlo it had to be really worth it,” commented presented new challenges to the distribution
and Milan. And they were all producing Kattoura. and market competition:
fragrances. Whenever they looked for Among the most legendary launches “The distribution model in the
somebody to represent them in the U.S., was the one for Versace Dreamer, held in Caribbean shifted significantly, with more
they would call me, and we brought them Cancun in 1997. focus on numbers and less on brand image.
to Genesis,” he said. “The Versace line was already Competition increased, and it became
In this way, Genesis represented all distributed in the region but it was not cheaper to buy products in the U.S. than
the brands for Euroitalia, adding Versace doing well, and we needed to relaunch it, to in duty free stores, making it harder to
and the Eurocosmesi brands as well. Then show everyone that this was a whole new maintain exclusivity and profitability.
they added the French lines. thing. So we asked for a huge budget. The “It is critical to recognize that each
“We had a huge portfolio of Versace company thought that was crazy, island had unique needs and customer
fragrances, all the leading German, Italian, but they went with it. bases. We build business by targeting the
and French brands. Genesis quadrupled in “We rented a whole hotel to do local market and hotels, rather than relying
size and had to move from a small place in a fashion show, and we rented a 727, solely on tourists and cruise ships. It is also
the Free Zone to its own location in North calling it Versace Air, and flew all our important to adapt product offerings and
Miami,” said Kattoura. guests from Miami to Cancun to show events to suit local tastes and needs.
As Executive Vice President at them the strength of Versace. We had “The importance of always having
Genesis for more than 10 years, Kattoura women greeting everyone on the tarmac, products in stock and providing excellent
managed the Caribbean, North America and Versace-draped Mercedes buses to service so customers don’t have to wait or
duty free and South America duty free and transport them to the hotel; we even created look elsewhere, cannot be overstressed,”
local markets, including cruise ships and little fresh towels scented with the Versace he says.
airlines. Dreamer perfume. These are the kind of Building trust with the local
“So it wasn’t only duty free, which details that we did,” he recalled. community is also essential.
actually was very helpful. You get to know Genesis also held many launches at “We invest in local events, charity,
the market better when you know the local Disney World, as well as aboard cruise and staff engagement, making our stores an
market. It gives you more insight on how ships, and was equally as active in South active part of the community. We enhance
the market operates. America, especially in Brazil. this by hiring loyal staff, paying them well,
“At the same time, the world was “These were very, very good launches. and maintaining strict discipline regarding
going through a lot of changes. We had They were expensive launches. They were store hours and customer service. Staff
NAFTA, we had weather issues, hurricanes, legendary, but they paid off. They paid off are also encouraged to engage with their
earthquakes, devaluations. These are all because opening orders covered all the networks to promote the business,” he
experiences you have to plan for. And we expenses,” said Kattoura. adds.
survived very well. I think we had as many “After the market crash, we could not “To succeed in retail, especially in the
as 40 fragrances in the portfolio, as well as do these elaborate parties because it didn’t Caribbean, an operator must be adaptable
some accessories. It was a good time for work. But at that time, they were perfect. and innovative. At Rouge we have invested
distribution here.” They were the right tools to use.” in radio, social media, and new types of
During those 10 years Genesis held After the market crash and 9/11, the events (like ‘sip and shop’ or ‘Christmas in
some of the most legendary launches market changed, although the Caribbean July’) to keep customers engaged. You also
and activations that the industry has was emerging as a major duty free must be willing to invest and to take risks,
experienced. destination. Kattoura left Genesis in 2004 understanding that risk and occasional
“It was a different time. It was before to take a sabbatical, but after representing a failure are part of growth,” concludes
the market crash. Big launches were very watch brand for a while, he began working Kattoura.

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