After using Nottingham as our primary research location, we took a trip to London in order to gain a wider insight into the perfume industry by asking fragrance professionals a series of questions. This further helped to refine our research focus for the whole project to look into the mens Middle Eastern and Dubai fragrance market.
Fortnum and Mason
Fortnum and Mason is a high end department store situated in central London. It is recognised internationally for its high quality goods, it has an iconic British symbol and has held many Royal Warrants over the past 150 years. Fragrance at Fortum and Mason brings together some of the world’s finest scents for men and women, including the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding perfume. As I wandered around the royally coloured upper room my group and I took it upon ourselves to ask a shop assistant a few questions to gain more of an insight into the consumer and history of the store itself.
What is the age range of shoppers?
We don't have an age range really, we're popular for everyone
What is the most popular fragrance?
1707 Noir, a unisex fragrance named after the year the shop was open
Do you have any exclusive perfumes?
Creed is exclusive to the store, usually Customers know what they want but have an idea of the smell they would like. Exclusivity is key, Scent is forever.
What type of fragrance do Arabic customers love?
They love a lot of Oud smells, the women love floral scents like jasmine and Lily of the valley, the men are the same but they incorporate leathery notes as well. Perfume is very personal and creates memory, you get to know the customer and what they like to help them try something new.
What would someone aged 19-20 buy?
Something usually fresh and light smelling.
Whats your most expensive fragrance?
Definitely Clive Christian, We have in store a limited edition crystal bottle with a diamond lid retailing at £250,00, a 50ml bottle would be only £450.
What is the cheapest fragrance you sell?
I'd have to say that some of the more well known designer brands in here are considered the cheapest a 50ml bottle of Chanel or Balmain for £50 is the cheapest you'll find.
Do you have a website?
Yes all of our fragrances' are available online.
Floris
In 1730 Floris Founder Juan Famenias Floris began selling perfume, combs and shaving products with his wife Elizabeth in the elegant quarter of London's St James. The Floris store is situated on 89 Jermyn Street and remains at the heart of the business and is still run by their descendants today. In 2010 they celebrated their 280th anniversary unveiling an '280' eau de parfum. Using their knowledge and building expertise handed down years, the eighth and ninth generations proudly continue to create exquisite perfumes. The interior of the store was dark and rich, I also conducted and interview whilst inside about the store.
What is the age range of shoppers?
It varies, 60% of our customers I would say are middle aged/ elderly, the rest I would say are all around 40. We are the oldest perfume house in the Uk and carry that proudly.
What are the most popular perfumes?
Women love White Rose, Jasmine and the Royal Family flour, our most popular unisex fragrance is Saphiro which is a citrus scent. When the customer comes in they usually know what they want most of the time,
What days are you most busy?
We have regulars who come in on week days, on Saturdays it's hit and miss. Some people fly out specifically just to purchase a perfume and vice versa, especially from the United Arab Emirates, places like Dubai. We offer the option to shop online also.
What is the most expensive perfume you sell?
The most expensive fragrance we stock is £15,000, it is the same perfume as the queen made the year she was born, remade for her diamond jubilee. 6 were originally made, 1 was given to the queen, 1 went to auction, 1 was sold in store and 3 remain here with us in Floris. It has a 14 carat chain and is a crystal bottle a vintage replica of the original with a mahogany box and quarter cut diamond.
What is the cheapest perfume?
All 50ml bottles are £50, Au due perfume retails at £95
Can you explain to us the service you offer of making your own personal perfume?
We do offer the option to create your own scent from scratch. This takes 3 appointments and costs £4,500. At the moment we are fully booked till Christmas, the most popular months for us are easily April to May
Penhaligons
Penhalgons is an English Perfume House established in 1870 by William Henry Penhaligon. The original shop was situated in Jermyn Street however it was destroyed in the Blitzings of 1941. The shop assistant inside was very friendly and gave a lot of information regarding the stores history and consumer.
What is your most popular fragrance?
I wouldn't say that there is one single scent or perfume that is most popular. In store we like to match perfume to personality so when a new customer comes in store we like to firstly sit and have a conversation with them to establish their personality.But if I had to say one it would be 'Artemisia' a vanilla fragrance mixed with apple.
Who is your consumer?
Mostly Tourists but we like to make sure that every customer that comes in finds the right thing for them. We done offer designer brands.
What are your views on unisex fragrance?
Its hard to establish what to put in a unisex fragrance as fragrance is about what you feel comfortable wearing. Male fragrances can be feminine, there are no rules. 100 years ago men wore Rose, its all about how you connect with a perfume.
Who have you made fragrances for?
We established one of the first citrus perfumes made in 1902 for Winston Churchill's father. It was so popular that hotels collected the scent to be used in their rooms, its all about the smell. We also privately commissioned a fragrance called the Maharaja
What would you say about the Middle Eastern/ Dubai Fragrance trends?
It can be a slightly niche market. Oud is an arabic trend, we were one of the last perfumeries to follow the trend as we don't follow trends. We find now that Oud is a best seller at Ramadan. Fragrance is a big part of their world.
What is the age range of your consumers?
Any really, it can vary from 18-80 usually mothers and daughters. new things happen all the time but an older smell or brand can have a consumer intrigued.
After this day trip we decided that it was a wise choice to change from ur initial idea of doing a unisex fragrance to the ever expanding middle eastern male market.
