One on One with Petrina Kho, Managing Director, L’Oréal Travel Retail Americas
Petrina Kho, the new Managing Director of L’Oréal Travel Retail Americas – a subsidiary of the world’s largest beauty company — believes that the travel retail future is bright. But to keep growing, we would need to transform together as an industry, she says.
Faced with a changing consumer demographic and declining conversion rates, travel retail must find ways to work together.
“We need to transform our ways of connecting with consumers and clients; as the leader in our industry, I believe it is imperative that we work with our partners to revolutionalize how we create memorable experiences for travelers that drive both engagement and conversion,” she tells TMI’s Lois Pasternak this summer.
Speaking to TMI right after the six-month anniversary of her tenure as the Managing Director of the Americas Travel Retail division in Miami, Kho says that it is critical for the channel to offer continuous innovation and collaboration in order to stay relevant and meet consumer expectations.
“The way travelers seek value and experiences has transformed completely in the last five years. 45% of travel retail shoppers say that instore experience is a key purchase driver – and Gen Z is leading the way,” she stresses.
“The world is on the move. Travel is back and booming. The major challenge for the industry is conversion – and to transform these simple transit points into true experience hubs. And L’Oréal Travel Retail, with its diverse brand portfolio, is leading this transformation, offering travelers unforgettable beauty experiences.”
Kho knows of what she speaks.
Prior to her appointment as Managing Director at the beginning of this year, Kho served as the Senior Vice President & Deputy General Manager of L’Oréal USA, first in New Jersey with the IT Cosmetics headquarters, and then in California with the Urban Decay Global headquarters.
She is not new to travel retail either. Before relocating to the U.S., she was the General Manager of Luxe Skincare in L’Oréal Travel Retail APAC in Hong Kong where she successfully led strong growth in the region for brands like Kiehl’s, Helena Rubinstein and Biotherm. Prior to joining L’Oréal, Kho spent over 13 years at P&G, Mattel and Diageo, where she held general management roles in the Asia Pacific region.
Despite her extensive background, Kho spent the first six months on the job familiarizing herself with the new market.
“I’ve lived in America now for almost five years, two years in New York, two years in California, and now in Miami. I am incredibly lucky to have these experiences and grateful to be learning every day, meeting people, learning new cultures and discovering great local cuisines. What I love about my adventure in America is that every single state or city that I’ve lived in is so different from one another.”
And the diversity in Latin America is truly amazing, she says.
So for the first six months Kho traveled throughout the region to meet the team and the clients.
Market Understanding
“In my first six months in this new role, I’ve spent a lot of time traveling to the markets – from North America to South America and Central America. What’s most important for me, being so new, is to connect with the teams and partners. They possess both experience and market knowledge that’s impossible to replicate. Understanding their barriers and challenges they face has been my priority from day one. Because it’s one thing to read data and understand what the data is telling you, but it’s another thing to be on the ground with your BAs in the store, asking them how they feel, what products are selling, what brands are selling, what are consumers looking for? What is the age of the consumers who walk in the store and who is buying what? Is our brand still relevant, or are buyers looking for the indie brands? This understanding is priceless,” she explains.
Kho says that understanding the consumers and clients is also critical.
“Our consumers have different needs in each market. It is important for me to understand the dynamics of our consumer behaviors and how L’Oréal can help our clients in travel retail to be differentiated in the market.”
Kho believes that the job of travel retail is not to compete with the local market, but rather to amplify the efforts of the local market to give consumers seamless journey. And to do that, all stakeholders will have to work together.
“We only win when we work together,” she insists. “In fact, I am convinced by the value of synergy. L’Oréal Travel Retail is designing new ways of working with local markets, to enrich the existing brand experiences, and moreover, with the whole travel retail industry to create value.
“What value do we bring the retailer? To me, it’s about partnering with all the stakeholders in the industry to really step change travel retail as a whole. I don’t think anyone can do it alone, We need to rethink how we approach this channel by working with airlines, airports, and media partners alongside brands and retailers to create value for our travelers of today. The ‘pentarchy’ creates an ecosystem that engages travelers at multiple touchpoints throughout their journey, not just at the point of sale.”
YSL Beauty Light Club Activation
Kho was able to illustrate the effectiveness of such collaboration – which she calls the “pentarchy” — through the spectacular YSL Beauty Light Club activation L’Oréal Travel Retail Americas mounted at Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport in June and July. The collaboration brought together L’Oréal Travel Retail with Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), Avolta Duty Free shops, Aerolíneas Argentinas, and Meta to create a unique and enhanced shopping experience specifically designed for travelers.
This was the first time such a “pentarchy” (airline, airport, retailer, brand and media) had taken place in the Americas, following its debut in Doha Airport in Qatar in November 2024, and a YSL airport takeover in Singapore in partnership with Shilla Duty Free and Changi Airport Group in June.
The pioneering collaboration – an omnichannel, multi-partner strategy – maximizes brand engagement at every stage of the journey, offering a more personalized experience for passengers that elevates the travel experience, building a pre & post trip seamless consumer journey.
Travelers departing from Ezeiza International airport were immediately greeted by the YSL Beauty Light Club’s captivating multi-touchpoint campaign. From eye-catching out-of-home advertising placed throughout the airport, to targeted social media engagements and interactive podiums within the Avolta Duty Free shop, every element was designed to draw them in and guide them to the heart of the experience: the YSL Beauty Light Club pop-up, prominently located at the International Departures Terminal.
Inside the Club, travelers experienced a curated selection of YSL’s iconic products, alongside exclusive, interactive experiences, such as the digital fragrance finder using VIP bracelets where passengers were able to discover their signature YSL fragrance, and the Loveshine Beauty Lounge for games, make-up touch-ups, and shareable moments.
The YSL Beauty Light Club featured an exclusive make-up station paired with an AI-powered DJ where passengers selected their favorite music genre and let the AI-powered DJ curate a personalized makeup look. This digital experience was complemented by a personalized consultation with an expert makeup consultant, offering tailored tips and product recommendations.
Finally, at the YSL Mocktail Bar travelers were invited to indulge in specially crafted, non-alcoholic destination-inspired cocktails before their flight, offering a relaxing and luxurious pre-flight treat.
In an exclusive partnership with Aerolineas Argentina, travelers continued to discover the world of YSL Beauty in the comfort of the Condor VIP Lounge and captivating video content displayed during flight. This full 360 campaign aimed to elevate the travel journey, from pre, during, and post trip, creating memorable experiences with YSL Beauty.
On a more serious note, the YSL Beauty Light Club in Ezeiza provided a platform to showcase the brand’s commitment to empowering women and addressing the critical issue of intimate partner violence through its Abuse is Not Love public education program. Through raising awareness and providing resources, YSL Beauty works to prevent intimate partner violence and support those affected.
“This collaborative partnership with Avolta, Aeropuertos Argentina, and Aerolineas Argentinas on this innovative YSL Beauty campaign embodied how a holistic approach can truly elevate the customer’s journey to new heights. We are connecting with travelers on a deeper level with meaningful memories that makes an ordinary trip to the airport an extraordinary experience,” says Kho.
“This whole project was a breakthrough, showing that the industry has the appetite to modernize and innovate. But all of us have to come to the table to make this happen. Everyone felt this was a good time to bring this differentiation to the Argentinian travelers. And our partners have been so supportive and collaborative in this project. I am energized by the positive response and camaraderie of our partners,” she notes.
Not only did the YSL Beauty Light Club generate positive feedback and incremental sales from the outside and inside podiums, but it also recruited new consumers to the brand and improved conversion.
“Whilst this is our first major activation, I am convinced that this is the start of many incredible partnerships to shape the future of travel retail together,” says Kho.
The L’Oréal advantage
Kho is very confident in the L’Oréal portfolio to provide products and services to reach passengers on many levels.
“I am very lucky to be working in L’Oréal where the group has a wide portfolio of strong brands. Our portfolio spans from accessible luxury to super-premium offerings. This breadth allows us to cater to virtually every traveler segment.
“Being able to cater to all consumers is strategic. We need to work with our partners to understand what the need is, and how we can serve our consumers better. Innovation is key to our Gen Z audience. Hence important for us to be in the forefront of cultural trends. What are young people talking about? What are they thinking about? What are they looking at on TikTok?
“As a leader in the industry, L’Oréal is committed to creating value for the travel retail sector by driving progress through innovation and step changing our traveler experience to create memories that lasts,” Kho observes.
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Coming home to travel retail
Meanwhile, Kho says that returning to travel retail feels like coming home.
“I started my L’Oréal career in Travel Retail Asia Pacific almost 8 years ago. So taking this new role in Travel Retail Americas and returning to this dynamic industry feels like coming back home.
“The region may be new to me, but the people are all speaking the same business language, it feels like family. The future of Travel Retail Americas is bright, and I am excited to be part of this journey to shape the future of this industry alongside my team and our partners,” says Kho.
