Not bigger as in bolder scents, but bigger as in fragrance packaging. In 1981’s The Incredible Shrinking Woman, a mix of perfumes and other household products causes an ordinary suburban housewife to shrink down to just a few inches in size (whee!). Today, it’s the other way around, with perfume bottles shrinking on fragrance counters worldwide.
Increasingly for fragrances, it’s a small world, with smaller and smaller options like rollerballs, fragrance sticks and mini-bottles (1 oz. or less) for sale. The economy has something to do with it — smaller bottles generally cost less than bigger ones do and contain less product — but shrinking bottles don’t necessarily mean better values, at least not in terms of price per ounce.
A small (CUTE!) 1 oz. bottle of Gwen’s Harajuku Lovers fragrance, for instance, costs $45 at Sephora, but if you don’t go through fragrances very quickly, that may not be a bad deal. Of course, if the same scent came in a bottle the size of a Coke can (12 oz.), we’d be talking about a whopping $540 instead.
Are shrinking fragrance bottles a win-win for consumers and beauty companies alike?
“Smaller sizes are a great way for consumers to get a taste of what’s new or to remember a loved, favorite scent,” explains Karen Grant, Vice President and Global Industry Analyst at The NPD Group. “This could be not only a thoughtful option, but a budget-friendly one for gift giving.”
Loading ...Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
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