What is a niche perfume?
What is a niche perfume? Basically it is any perfume which is sold in limited distribution, in certain selected outlets only. We refer to the niche bandwagon as a phenomenon where everyone wants to jump on board this sector and gain sales from it. Niche perfume packaging design is evolving to adapt to the more crowded sales arena.
Niche perfumery has traditionally been the most creative sector of perfumery. Small companies create new trends and experiment in limited quantities. Niche perfumery aimed to push the boundaries of perfumery. It tested out new ideas for the fearless few who don’t want to smell like everyone else. Niche perfumery has also attracted a certain amount of snobbery and many feel that the perfumes are always superior to the high street brands. However, limited distribution is not always a guarantee of better perfume. Nowadays niche perfumery is a high growth sector, this growth is fuelled by many ‘me too’ brands. Such brands don’t always have the same drive to create and be different..
Traditional packaging approaches
Traditionally niche perfumes had ultra simple packaging, often a paper label on a standard bottle, in order to communicate that the focus is on the fragrance, not on packaging gimmicks. It was all about the quality of the perfume essence. The perfumer had freedom to express his originality and creativity. Because there used to be so few niche brands, this approach was highly effective.
Added value to niche perfume packaging design
However nowadays the market is different. We have seen many new entrants into niche perfumery in recent years, attracted by the growth in this sector. Nowadays it’s difficult to get a place for your brand in selective perfumery outlets just because it smells great. You must display added value in terms of packaging to attract clients. Not always an easy thing to achieve when you are a fledgling company and have limited funds to invest. A new cap or some other packaging design feature might give you a point of difference to will make it easier to sell to new clients.
Combining standard perfume bottles with custom made caps
Nasengold, Perris and Escentric Molecules have all used standard bottles in an interesting way. Some of the bottles don’t bother to put a cache pump or supply a cap, having a strictly modern and ‘less is more’ approach. In mass market perfumery, it would be seen as a way of cutting costs and thus ‘cheapening’ the brand. But in niche perfumery it can be seen positively, as a creative force.
Heavy investment in new moulds
Niche perfumery popularity will continue to grow for some time until it reaches a saturation point and some of the brands who do not have a strong personality or reputation for outstanding, creative fragrances will inevitably fail. In the meantime, brands who do not consider creative packaging a worthwhile investment will find that it is more difficult to gain entry to the traditional niche perfumery retail points.
We are very interested in the growth of niche perfumery, if you would like to know more about the niche bandwagon, why not ready our other article about the growth of niche perfumery. Its growing popularity might threaten its very existence.