ANNE DICKHARDT X MOODIE DAVITT PODCAST


Redefining the Flightpath: Women in travel retail and aviation speak


In this episode of the Redefining the Flightpath podcast by The Moodie Davitt Report, Anne Dickhardt, CEO, Founder & Creative Director of ANY DI, reflects on her journey from professional sports to entrepreneurship and the development of ANY DI in the travel retail sector. She discusses the importance of innovation, partnerships, and personal resilience in building a business within a highly competitive market environment.


An injury changed everything and redirected Dickhardt's focus towards travel retail.


A formative sporting career laid the foundations for Dickhardt’s entrepreneurial mindset, shaping both her resilience and her long-held ambition to combine fashion with travel functionality. "I was a former professional tennis player, travelling internationally from a very young age, so travel has always been part of my life, " she says.

"At the same time, I have always loved fashion. I had this dream of creating a bag that was incredibly comfortable, yet as stylish and elegant as a Prada bag."
Although a serious injury ended Dickhardt’s tennis career, she did not let this misfortune stop her from pursuing her fashion dream. "Looking back, that moment changed everything. I immediately focused on my second dream."
"Tennis taught me resilience," she adds. "You lose often, you are frequently on your own, and you have to keep going. That mindset has stayed with me in business."


"Anne Dickhardt has carved out a distinctive niche in travel retail by combining product innovation with a clear understanding of the evolving dynamics of this distribution channel."

ANY DI’s first serve in travel retail

Dickhardt launched ANY DI in 2015, and the brand’s travel retail debut followed in 2019—a pivotal moment for the industry.

"We took our first step into travel retail in 2019 at the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition in Singapore," Dickhardt recounts. "It was an amazing experience, even though the industry paused shortly after."

At the heart of the brand is a product-led strategy that aligns closely with travel retail’s evolving demand for innovation, portability, and gifting appeal, according to Dickhardt.

"Our ANY DI SunCover is something completely new, with strong gifting appeal and a very emotional design," she explains.

ANY DI is known for its smart luxury accessories

The product fits perfectly with travel retail; it’s functional, visible, easy to carry and appeals to a wide audience. However, the key to making any product a success in travel retail is storytelling and engagement.

"Younger consumers want to see new things – you won’t succeed if you only rely on long-term listings," she says. "Of course, new listings carry risk, but they also bring opportunity. You have to take that step to grow."

Dickhardt is now turning her attention to travel retail exclusives and experiential retail.

"Everyone is trying to create pop-ups and special experiences at airports, and that is exactly what travellers want from new products. They want to find things they cannot find in their own country. That is what matters most in the airport experience: not just the surroundings, but also the assortment."

As a female founder, one of the most significant challenges for Dickhardt was to gain visibility in a highly competitive business environment.

"One of the biggest difficulties was to be seen and to find the right people who can take you to the next level. I don't focus on being a woman in business, but a person. You have to be confident and stand behind your message."

"My advice is to talk to as many people as possible: buyers, brands, retailers – simply everyone who has knowledge to share. Joining organizations like Women in Travel Retail (WiTR+) was incredibly important for me."

ANY DI X EVA AIR HELLO KITTY

"In terms of travel retail exclusives, we created a special Hello Kitty SunCover design with Eva Air, which was very popular. It sold out within a few months and people still ask for it, even though I’m not allowed to sell it any more."

"That was my first real experience of how powerful travel retail exclusives can be, which is why we keep doing it,"she adds. "We are lucky because our product lends itself so easily to that kind of adaptation."

Key takeaways

"Over the last six months, I've had wonderful opportunities to attend events, give speeches, and familiarize more and more people with the brand. It has shown me that I'm on the right track: getting out there, talking to people, talking to the press, and never being silent. This is something you have to do as a woman."

For women entering travel retail today, Dickhardt offers simple advice: "You always have to ask yourself, 'What do I really have to lose?'

Sometimes you just have to take the plunge, gain experience, and see where it leads."

Listen to the full episode here:

Moodie David Report