Case study · Perfume, UK retail
Ann Summers: an own-brand perfume range
Ann Summers is a UK high street chain with its own-brand fragrance range. We produce eau de parfum for the range in several scents, each with its own bottle colour and box, and a discovery set that lets shoppers try them together. The range is sold in Ann Summers stores and online, and is also stocked in Boots.
The range
The Ann Summers range is own-brand eau de parfum, sold under the retailer's name. Each scent has its own identity on the shelf, and together they read as one family. A discovery set brings the scents into one box for gifting and for shoppers choosing a full size.
What a retailer's own-brand range needs
For a retailer, an own-brand perfume has to do three things: look like it belongs in the store, sit at a price the store's shoppers pay, and come from a factory the retailer's teams are comfortable with. The first two are design and specification work. The third is audits and documents: a current social audit for the ethical trade team, and product documents such as the SDS, IFRA document and allergen declaration for the technical team.
Sold beyond the retailer's own stores
The range is also stocked in Boots, the UK health and beauty chain. For an own-brand fragrance, a listing with another major retailer is a good sign that the product stands up on its own, not only in its home store.
What it shows
A retailer does not need a perfume house to build an own-brand fragrance range. It needs a clear idea of its shopper, a range planned as a family, and a factory that can pass its audits and keep the product consistent from order to order. The own-brand fragrance guide covers the decisions in order.
Questions buyers ask
What did you make for Ann Summers?
Own-brand eau de parfum in several scents and a perfume discovery set, sold in Ann Summers stores and also stocked in Boots.
Do you work with other UK retailers?
Yes. The plant has passed audits for UK retail including NEXT, and is SMETA 4-Pillar (Sedex) audited.
Can a retailer start with a discovery set?
Yes. A discovery set lets shoppers try the whole range at a low price, and tells the retailer which scents to push in full size.
Last updated . Reviewed by Tang Guoqiang, OEM/ODM Sales Manager at YFF Cosmetics.
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