The importance of perfume sampling
A recent survey of more than 2,000 adults aimed at establishing some key fragrance-related facts yielded some interesting findings. For example, fifty percent of the women interviewed said they would never buy a perfume without trying it first. That’s not exactly big news, is it? I mean, how many of us would go out and buy perfume or aftershave without knowing what it smells like? Despite this, it seems that the fragrance industry as a whole does not seem to understand this obvious point, or if it does, it does not seem to think it is important.
This particular survey clearly emphasized the importance of ‘try before you buy’, particularly with women under the age of twenty-four. In fact, research conducted the previous year had shown that up to eighty-eight percent of consumers choose a fragrance based on smell rather than other factors. So given these undeniable facts, why isn’t the fragrance industry providing more opportunities for consumers to try products? Surely, if consumers have more opportunities to try new fragrances, they are more likely to buy or it could be that the industry prefers that we drive purchase, making our purchasing decisions based solely on the evocative fragrance marketing that supports each product. In essence, they are not selling a fragrance, but rather the idea that wearing a particular brand will make you irresistible to the opposite sex, or radiate confidence like any celebrity they have to promote it.
But as consumers, are we really that naive? Research seems to indicate otherwise, so maybe it’s time for the industry to come to terms with that fact and make fragrance sampling more accessible. Of course, we could all go to our local beauty shop or dedicated perfume store to try some of the limited samples available, but that’s not always practical. On top of that, to truly try a new fragrance, you can’t just go to a store and cover yourself in twenty different scents and then hope to make a decision on the spot. Perfumes evolve over time and change the longer they have been on the skin, so ideally you should try them one at a time, over the course of a few hours.
Every now and then new product sample jars are available in store or, if you’re lucky enough to find them, online, but those promotions soon expire. So what is the answer? One niche brand in particular, Ormonde Jayne, has come up with a smart solution. They sell something called the Discovery Set, which is made up of twelve 2ml mini-sprays of each of their perfumes, along with a brochure explaining each scent. Not only is it a great way to discover the products, but it also makes a perfect gift. Some of the big brands have produced perfume minigames, with selections of 10ml or 15ml perfumes, but these tend to be difficult to find and are not necessarily the most profitable ways to try out new fragrances.
Sample vials are definitely the best way for consumers to try new fragrances, but the real challenge is how to get those vials into the hands of consumers. Obviously, there is a cost to producing sample vials, so giving away unlimited supplies of them is not feasible, even for big brands, but if the price is realistic, would consumers be willing to pay for the samples? A 2009 test perfume sample service by a UK-based online retailer seemed to indicate that consumers were willing to pay a small amount to try new products, so hopefully, over time, more Perfume makers will follow Ormonde Jayne’s lead and allow us to try out new fragrances in the comfort of our own homes.