Muhammad Saleem

The perfume business is experiencing exponential growth, with youngsters adopting the trait, sensing its lucrative potential. Shaffan, 21, recently launched his perfume brand online. However, he noted that online customers were not ready to believe “what you say without proof, and we have to send them samples to win their trust.” He said this method bore fruit, and customers happily placed orders. Talking to WealthPK, he said a proper advertising budget and effective search engine optimisation of the website was the name of the game for the success of an online business. “Without catchy pictures and detailed descriptions, one cannot attract customers to place orders. We are focusing on all such issues on our website and social media accounts. The youth is being targeted through advertising as we are offering them affordable perfumes with long-lasting fragrance duration,” he said. Talking about the factors contributing to the rapid growth of this business, he said multiple factors were driving its growth.

Explaining, he said the upper-middle class was spending extra money to buy luxury items such as perfumes. “This class is our target market as they are trying to live the high life luxury, ignoring the inflation issues.” Secondly, Shaffan said social media had become an instrumental tool to influence the thought process of anyone. “Online business cannot easily thrive without the effective use of social media,” he said. “With the help of social media advertising, we are targeting our desired class and results are outstanding.” With the help of online stores, he said customers can easily pick and choose perfume of their choice from the comfort of their own homes.  Shedding light on the future of the perfume-selling business, Shaffan said it depends on the quality, pricing and advertising approaches of the sellers. He said people would never stop sprucing themselves up. “Perfumes are crucial to make your personality the cherry on top.”

The young entrepreneur said the perfume industry was on the move, and noted that sustainability was important to tap into its potential. “Perfumes prepared with natural ingredients and prioritising eco-friendly practices will be all the rage in the future,” he said. Dr Saeed, a teacher at a state-run university, talking about the key strategies to be adopted by a perfume seller, told WealthPK that storytelling was crucial for every segment of the society, and that it’s a time-honoured practice. “A compelling narrative grabs the attention of customers, and sellers must concentrate on this approach to create a loyal community,” he suggested. He said everybody wanted exclusivity, and that’s why the customisation trend was gaining popularity. “The brands will easily stand out if they establish the capacity to offer personalised fragrances.” Similarly, he said they should devise a comprehensive marketing strategy to target the desired consumers.

“The influencer marketing should also be part of their advertising campaign.” He suggested that packaging, presentation and effective marketing to a wider audience helped establish brand credibility. Ahsan Ali, a consumer who used to purchase perfumes, told WealthPK that he had to visit the local markets to select the fragrance of his choice. “However, now the companies with both physical and online stores make it easy for customers, who receive testers before placing perfume orders. With the help of testers, one can easily select his favourite perfume,” he added. He said with the help of online stores, they could also shop around while staying at home.  “This is a fact that personal identity establishes your social status, and fragrances take centre stage in this regard. You have to select perfumes that align with your desired self-image,” he noted.

Credit: INP-WealthPk