Highlights
Searching for the perfect fragrance doesn’t seem overwhelming until you actually attempt it. If you want the right perfume — you’ve come to the right place. From fruity florals to earthy musks, luxury perfumery Scentido has a pick for everyone
Maliha, Founder and Managing Director, Scentido
Can you tell a bit about Scentido’s creation and beginnings?
When it comes to perfumes, not many people are aware of the rich fragrant heritage of Spain. We’ve been inspired by the olfactory references in Spanish perfumes and having been in this industry for a long time, instead of the usual retail business we decided to do something different. Many luxury perfume outlets have shut down creating a gap in the market and this was a good opportunity to create a niche customer base. Sense in Spanish is called sentido and our brand name Scentido is a play on the word scent and sense.
The whole uniqueness of Scentido lies in the retail experience; this is where we are going to be different from the other players. We will select very precise fragrances for a customer to offer that personal touch. We will not just have commercial brands, but also niche ones. Even if you’ve seen something that’s available in some other country, customers can call us and we will arrange it for them.
What’s next for the company?
We are going to go e-commerce soon. We also plan to launch the Scentido perfume label for him and her by 2021. Being a luxury concept we might introduce new categories related to fashion, beauty and style. Besides, we would like to expand our retail operations by 2025.
Mohammed Aslam, CEO, Scentido
Where is Scentido positioned within the fragrance market?
The perfume market in the UAE was worth $440 million in 2018. The market is further projected to reach $750 million by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 9.3 per cent during the year 2018-2024. We don’t want to enter the cutthroat competitive market by igniting a price war. To avoid that, we have put more emphasis on the quality than the price, which means offering luxury niche fragrances that are distinct and appeal to a broad base of customers and personalities. We aim to be a 100 million company with a consistent growth.
Can you share any details of specific campaigns and promotions?
The priority now is to launch our e-commerce business as soon as we are done with the retail store. These days you can’t have a retail store without online presence, which makes up almost 40 per cent share of the business. We have an attractive opening promotion where products will be given at half price. Besides, the first 100 customers will get special gifts. There will also be gifts with purchases from brands that support us. We have an aggressive marketing calendar for the first three months with an interactive marketing strategy where we don’t just invite people to buy, but organise activities such as workshops, and other exciting campaigns.
Kalim Shaikh, Director, Scentido
Tell us something about your business strategy and who is your target audience?
Our strategy is to cut down the middlemen so that we can offer better quality luxury niche perfumes, possibly at same price as the competition. We want to develop the brand equity and company image and take it to the highest level in the industry. The aim is to fill the gap between traditional and modern retail market by adding class and unique experience under one roof. That’s why our tagline is ‘A sense of luxury’.
Our target market is from the ages 18 to 65. There is an offering for all age groups, and all nationalities. We don’t want to focus on anything specific to age or gender, but to cater to people who are very conscious about luxury, sophistication and elegance. We want to show luxury is affordable, without announcing that it is only for a certain class of people. Our perfumes are for everyone who loves a good brand.
What is the idea behind the retail store concept?
The interior of Scentido store is very classic chic and in niche category with exclusively selected collection of brands and products. They are sold with unique retail experience by well-trained male and female sales staff. The Scentido boutique interior itself is piece of art to justify the quality of the brands that will be sold.
Important tip
Alina GRIGORYAN, Perfume expert
What type of scent is appropriate for office?
You mostly go to the office in the mornings so the idea is to appear fresh and energetic. It shouldn’t be too strong so the ideal ones are aqua, fresh, greens, or florals.
I think Scentido is a great brand, as it has all kinds of perfumes especially oud.
