With mask wearing compulsory in shops around the world, a curious thought comes to mind: has fragrance testing as we know it changed forever?
When perfume counters closed in spring 2020, a whole culture of fragrance testing went with them. Gone were duty free spritzing and in-store demonstrations, alongside of which, fragrance sales slumped. According to the Financial Times: “In the first quarter of 2020, fragrance sales in the US and Europe were down 13 percent”. The suggestion being that closure of shops had a massive destabilising effect on the sale of perfumes.
Fragrance shopping is a physical thing
This should come as no surprise. Similar to other forms of beauty shopping, fragrance shopping is a largely physical experience which depends heavily on our ability to sample. Sure, many of us have our signature scents which we buy time and time again, but a huge number of us spend a great deal of time sniffing new fragrances in shops.
According to a study by McKinsey: “In most major beauty-industry markets, in-store shopping accounted for up to 85 per cent of beauty product purchases prior to the COVID-19 crisis.” Of that, sales of cosmetics (the category which perfumes fall into) were largely made in-store. A finding which rings true for most age groups (see infographic below).
What does this tell us? Chiefly, that fragrance testing/shopping is a mostly in-store activity that, at least until 2020, hadn’t really changed much. As Rachel Strugatz notes in ‘How Will We Buy Our Perfume Now?’: “The way fragrance is introduced, advertised and sold to the world hasn’t changed in nearly a century. No. 5, a seductive scent for the modern woman introduced by Coco Chanel in the 1920s, is marketed similarly to Tom Ford’s Black Orchid, a “modern” and “alluring potion” that came out in 2006. Both designers’ fragrances depend on an in-store experience that conjures these ideas and feelings through smell, somehow enticing people to spend over $100 on a bottle of scented water.”
She goes on to add: “You can get verbal and visual information about scent on your computer. But you can’t smell it. And with the coronavirus pandemic forcing most shopping online, this is a problem for the perfume industry.”
Personally, I’ve always been a bit on the fence about testing scents in store. Sure, it’s great having the freedom to spray in store, but, more often than not, there’ll be a Retail Assistant looking over your shoulder, asking questions and pointing you in the direction their best sellers (the fragrances you don’t want to try or buy). Then there’s the hassle of not finding tester bottles for the fragrances you actually want to try. Thank god for online sampling!
Is online sampling the way forward?
As dismal as things might be on the high street, it’s not all doom and gloom for perfume brands. In fact, online fragrance sales are on the up, with many brands reporting huge increases across the board.
“We have seen our online sales increase between 150 and 200 percent, depending on the market” says Michelle, Founder of Floral Street perfumes. Other brands like Jo Malone, Diptyque and Nest and Malin + have seen a surge in demand for home scents and candles. As Julien Provost, Global Creative Director for Cire Trudon highlights: “"While everyone is staying home, people are stocking up and ordering candles online. Candles provide a sense of comfort and calm during this challenging time.”
If there’s one type of business that stands to gain at the moment, it’s fragrance sample websites. And why not. If you can order testers to your door, what need have you to test stuff in-store?
One of my favourite fragrance sample websites is Fragrance Samples UK, which offers small quantities of all types of perfumes, aftershaves and colognes – some vintage or discontinued. Run by the brilliant fragrance YouTuber, Greggieboy76, it’s arguably one of the greatest businesses of its kind, and, in my opinion, the best fragrance sample website in the UK.
But the sampling doesn’t end there. There’s also Scent Samples, Notino, Perfumista, Scent Split, My Perfume Samples. Even ebay has its fair share of fragrance samples. So, what are the benefits of online fragrance sampling?
Convenience
At the click of a button, you can order samples of just about any fragrance. Most samples tend to arrive pretty quickly as well.
Privacy
That’s right. Online sampling means zero interference from shop assistants. Meaning you can spray to your heart’s content without fear of reprimanding. Result!
Variety
Most fragrance sample websites boast rather impressive collections. I’m talking samples of over 500 fragrances, designer and niche. And that’s not to be sniffed at.
Affordability
A typical 1ml sample will only set you back £3 - £4. You'll be lucky if you can get a cup of coffee for that these days.
Trust
All the fragrance sample websites I've recommended are widely used and well respected. So what are you waiting for - get testing.
Closing thoughts
Fragrance testing as we know it is changing, and, with it, our relationship with fragrances in general. Has in-store testing had its day? Is online sampling the way forward? Only time will tell.
What’s the situation in your town or city? Are masks still compulsory in shops? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.
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