Are you stocking up on perfumes from your wholesaler and noticing a significant price difference between two products? Perhaps it's a genuine perfume bottle and a generic one.
What is the difference between these two types of perfumes? Should you buy authentic perfume or generic perfume to stock your shop?
We explain everything in this article.
Everything you need to know about generic perfume
What is a generic perfume? A generic perfume is a highly concentrated fragrance composition made up of perfumes from different brands. By law, at least 2% of the molecular structure of a generic perfume differs from that of the original product.
They are produced by large laboratories, by experienced technicians: most often made with natural alcohol, the finished product is therefore of excellent quality.
Generic perfumes are often, wrongly, associated with copies or poor-quality fragrances. The distinction is much more subtle: a copy seeks to reproduce a well-known perfume illegally, whereas a generic perfume embraces and celebrates its uniqueness; it even has its own dedicated marketing campaign, generally much simpler than that of a luxury perfume.
Generic perfumes are therefore very specific products, which often have the same characteristics as perfumes from major brands but come at much lower costs.
For my perfume shop, should I order generic or authentic perfumes?
To build up your perfume inventory, ordering generic perfumes is a smart strategy. You can order high-quality perfumes at very affordable prices, allowing you to achieve structural margins and economies of scale.
The cost of packaging and marketing is significantly lower than that of a traditional perfume. This allows you to offer your customers a low-cost product.
The target audience for choosing generic perfumes is a young clientele who do not have the means to afford a designer fragrance but who nevertheless wish to perfume themselves with a superior quality product.
As with an authentic perfume, your customers will have a choice of many scents: woody, tangy, acidic, floral, amber…
As you have understood, the components of a generic perfume are the same as those of an authentic perfume; the finished product is therefore very similar.
Find our tips for finding a wholesaler of generic perfume.
Which generic perfume brands should I order first?
For a perfume shop manager, selecting the most suitable generic perfume brand for their clientele can be complex. Here are a few product suggestions to help you build your inventory.
- Miss Sensible (Omerta): a subtle accord of orange blossom, mandarins, ylang-ylang, and jasmine, Miss Sensible is the perfect fragrance for modern young women who want to wear an original and distinctive perfume.
Base notes: Amber, Cinnamon, Cedarwood, Vanilla
Heart notes: Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Ginger, Tuberose
Top notes: orange blossom, bergamot, mandarin, lemon - Golden Challenge (Omerta): Golden Challenge is a masculine eau de toilette, composed of fresh and spicy fragrances. Simple and effective packaging for a peppery fragrance that doesn't go unnoticed.
Base notes: Patchouli, Amber, Blond Leather, White Woods
Top notes: Peppermint, Blood Mandarin, Grapefruit
Heart notes: Spices, Rose Absolute, Cinnamon - Pommy&Passion (omerta): In a charming apple-shaped box, perfect for decorating a young girl's bathroom, Pommy&Passion is a surprising fragrance. A surprising alternation of fruity and floral notes, Pommy&Passion challenges expectations and leaves a trail of confusion in its wake. For deceptively demure young girls who want to surprise and break the mold.
Notes: Vanilla, Pineapple, Lemon, Heliotrope, Licorice, Star Anise, Rosewood, Tonka Bean, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Jasmine, Almond. - Kiss ( AQC Fragrance ): Playfully presented like a box of chocolates, this box of 30ml mini perfumes will delight sample enthusiasts. An enchanting aroma with excellent staying power: perfect for a morning routine.
For a perfumer, ordering generic perfumes is a wise calculation: by targeting a young and informed audience, they reach a wide public for a reduced budget, and can quickly sell off their stock by offering quality products at a lower cost.
