Italian high-end chocolate and gelato maker Venchi has further consolidated its presence in Hong Kong with the opening of a standalone store at Hong Kong International Airport next to luxury brands like Tiffany, Dior, and Tory Burch.
With a prominent corner position in Terminal 1, complete with an ice cream bar, the Venchi unit is the brand’s 18th store in Hong Kong. The retail focus will be on gifting as well as indulging travelers in an extensive range of gelato before they board their flights.
Across Asia Pacific—under regional CEO Marco Galimberti who has been in the post for more than seven years—Venchi now has more than 100 stores and stockists. The company, led by CEO Daniele Ferrero, has been ambitious in its retail expansion, not just in Asia but also in Europe and the United States.
Venchi has been picking its locations carefully. In London, for example, it is now present in ten of the city’s best streets and neighborhoods, with another five stores in Paris. In the U.S., the brand currently operates 17 stores, mostly located in the New York area. There are more than 40 stores in its home market of Italy where Venchi has built a powerful airport presence: more than 10 units at eight gateways led by Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino.
Founded by Silviano Venchi in 1878, Venchi sticks to traditional Italian recipes for some of its best-known flavors such as Gianduja from the north of Italy. The recipe uses only Piedmont hazelnuts, renowned for their sweetness.
By continually opening new stores, Venchi is building its status as an international gourmet confectionery brand and hit €100 million ($103 million) turnover pre-pandemic according to Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper. Under a three-year development plan, the goal is to reach €300 million by 2025. Travel retail remains a priority channel to get the brand’s name widely circulated to key customer segments and nationalities.
Venchi has a large menu on a small footprint
At Hong Kong Airport—which served 51 million passengers to September 2024 on a 12-month rolling basis—Venchi offers up to 14 gelato flavors and over 50 types of chocolate, including a no-added-sugar collection, plus vegan choices. New gelato flavors for 2025 are also on the menu and, just for the airport, some of the gift package designs feature work from local illustrator, Don Mak. The store design is expected to be a blueprint for Venchi’s future airport estate.
Galimberti said the Hong Kong unit marked a “significant milestone” given that it is one of the world’s busiest airports and a major connecting hub in the Asia region. “By establishing a foothold in such a key international gateway, we can reach a diverse array of travelers.”
Specifically for the Hong Kong and Macau markets, Venchi has developed a Membership App that uses gamification to drive engagement and loyalty. Customers can earn gems and points to unlock rewards and higher-tier levels for more benefits. Three tiers—bronze, silver, and gold—are available with each one increasing the chances of receiving discounts and birthday offers.
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