Strategic Duty Free alliance forms by Pallini Limoncello and Behn DANZKA

The family-owned and operated companies Pallini Limoncello and Behn DANZKA have moved one giant step forward to prepare for their future travel retail business by establishing an alliance. This alliance – named Family Brands Alliance – will enforce the companies to thrive in the changing travel retail world.

All two companies individually have their own long history of craft, loyalty, and service with their premium spirits brands going back more than a century. However, globalization and consolidation within the travel retail industry has become a challenge for middle-sized family-owned companies. Today, there is a concentration of Duty Free operators, and retailers are asking for increased marketing investment and competitive pricing. There is also strong demand for further logistical optimisation.

The strategic alliance will allow Behn and Pallini to answer these challenges by setting up a well-balanced, diverse portfolio that will preserve the individuality of the star brands of each partner, harmonize the strengths and weakness of all partners, facilitate the high service level of a family-owned company on a global level, and optimise and increase manpower for sales and marketing.

Waldemar Behn GmbH CEO Rüdiger Behn says the alliance was the logical response to the travel retail globalisation and consolidation.

“The globalisation and consolidation within the travel retail industries is a challenge for a middle-sized family-owned company. That’s why we are inviting family-owned companies to join their forces with ours by keeping the high service level we are known for as family- managed companies and stay still true to our values of independence, uniqueness and craftsmanship our fans around the world honour us for. When meeting with Micaela Pallini I knew from the very beginning we have found the right partner and the successful path for the future of travel retail,” says Behn.

“When Rüdiger Behn approached me with regards to this alliance I quickly realised the potential for us as a family-owned and run company. We share the same values, dreams and passion and the synergies within this partnership which allows us to stay fully independent but serve the travel retail world on a global level,” says Micaela Pallini.

The Family Brands Alliance will allow the companies to stay competitive while still being fully independent by sharing logistic, sales, and marketing costs on a global base. They can continue thinking globally, and will be able to act locally.

The worldwide implementation of the alliance is an ongoing process as some current contracts have to be taken into consideration.