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Original poster

Perfume has become Ridiculously Expensive

208 replies

likeamillpond · 10/12/2020 07:19

A few years ago 30ml bottles were around the £35 - 40 mark and people expected to pay £60 - 70 for a 50ml bottle ,
But now it's difficult to find anything of quality for under £80
And that's for the smallest size.
Now I realise that there's inflation, but surely not this big a jump.
It's pure greed and I won't be buying any mote perfume for myself or presents for family for a long time. I cant afford to any more and i speak as a perfume lover.
Usually I've bought lots from Boots and HoF by now.

They're taking the piss surely?
Are people really willing to fork out over a 100 quid on a small bottle of, lets face it, chemicals
and we can't even test before we buy !

OP posts:
Mustardbay · 10/12/2020 07:47

I use perfume parlour now, I have the dupes of V and R Bonbon and Kenzo Flower and they're really good.

Bollss · 10/12/2020 07:47

Yes I have noticed this. Went to buy dh aftershave the same bottle I bought 2 years ago was about £30 more! Boots had a sale on (this was Tuesday sorry!) So I bought him something that was included in that instead Grin

RaspberryCoulis · 10/12/2020 07:50

@formerbabe

I'd love to know the mark up on perfume...it must be huge. I used to have nice perfumes pre dc but I cannot justify those prices anymore. Next, Zara and M&S all do really nice perfumes. Lidl this week has lots of perfumes for about a fiver...some were quite nice.
When you buy designer perfume you're paying for the glossy adverts with Keira Knightley, Johnny Depp or Natalie Portman. The high street brands don't advertise on telly or take out full pages in Vogue.
Circumlocutious · 10/12/2020 07:50

Found an interesting statistic on the market value of perfume in the UK. It took a significant dip last year at £1.74 billion - the lowest it’s been since December 2014. Curious to see if that trend will continue.

WitchesSpelleas · 10/12/2020 07:50

If you shop around (obviously not easy during a pandemic) there are plenty of own-brand and non-premium fragrances, such as Next or M&S, which smell just as nice as the premium brands. With these £70+ fragrances, you are paying for the fancy bottle and the fees of whichever model/actor they use to endorse the brand.

KangapooandRoo · 10/12/2020 07:52

Treated myself to Molton Brown perfume in the 25% off black friday sale. Was still £90..

Charley50 · 10/12/2020 07:53

@crystalize

Inflated prices and also Jo Malones's scent now doesn't last! It has changed from years ago when the smell used to linger. I will never buy it again. Absolute rip off.
I just got a Jo Malone candle and I'm so unimpressed. I feel robbed tbh.
SonjaMorgan · 10/12/2020 07:53

I found a Poundland perfume that smells very similar to my favourite. I wear this everyday now. It doesn't seem to last so I use it more on my clothes. I can't justify wearing £80 perfume everyday when I am currently not going anywhere.

FlatulentSproutEater · 10/12/2020 07:53

Have a look at the brilliant dupes now available. For instance I recently and hesitantly tried 'En Rose' in the dupes range at Lidl. It's an absolute dead-ringer for La Vie Est Belle. £5 versus £70 and it's 100ml and perfume not EDT. It's a no-brainer for me.

divafever99 · 10/12/2020 07:55

Yanbu, I've not had a branded perfume for a while. I only have perfume from Next now, lasts as long as the brands and much more reasonable.

BiscuitDrama · 10/12/2020 07:55

I only buy them when they’re reduced, shops do have phases of discounting them. Superdrug has a load at half price at the moment, including Daisy, for example.

Original poster
likeamillpond · 10/12/2020 07:57

@MrsMomoa

I just use body mists now. It's so much cheaper as perfumes are crazy expensive now.
I used to get mote compliments with some of the bodymists!
OP posts:
Ifailed · 10/12/2020 07:57

I'd love to know the mark up on perfume...it must be huge.

Typically 2 x plus VAT. So for a £100 perfume, £20 on VAT and so retailer purchases it at £40.

Work back from the manufacturer, look at the packaging, marketing, distribution etc and I'd reckon that's at least 50%, so that leaves them with a £20 product.

Take out the costs of development and actual production, plus their profit & I reckon each bottle probably costs a tenner to make.

HallFloor · 10/12/2020 07:58

The whole point is that it's expensive, that's what makes it desirable . The same perfume with a different label and half the price tag would likely not be as sought after.

It's madness that people let themselves be manipulated by it. Don't buy it and they'd have to change their modus operandi, but while it's so successful, why would they?

formerbabe · 10/12/2020 08:00

@HallFloor

The whole point is that it's expensive, that's what makes it desirable . The same perfume with a different label and half the price tag would likely not be as sought after.

It's madness that people let themselves be manipulated by it. Don't buy it and they'd have to change their modus operandi, but while it's so successful, why would they?

Yes but eventually it will reach a price point where it is so expensive, an average person can't even justify it as a treat or gift. It's a fine line between expensive enough to be desirable and affordable enough that people actually buy it.
TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 10/12/2020 08:02

This is one reason I love 4160 Tuesdays - she is an artisan perfumer and doesn’t spend money on advertising so much more of the price goes into the ingredients.

Original poster
likeamillpond · 10/12/2020 08:02

@Ifailed

I'd love to know the mark up on perfume...it must be huge.

Typically 2 x plus VAT. So for a £100 perfume, £20 on VAT and so retailer purchases it at £40.

Work back from the manufacturer, look at the packaging, marketing, distribution etc and I'd reckon that's at least 50%, so that leaves them with a £20 product.

Take out the costs of development and actual production, plus their profit & I reckon each bottle probably costs a tenner to make.

Plus, the places that manufacture them also do fragranced detergents and other cleaning products. It's disturbing to think we're duped into buying chemicals that are no better than what we get in the average fabric conditioner. Bit hey it comes in a fancy bottle and is advertised by a Celebrity so it Must be SPECIAL.

More fool us.

OP posts:
BeakyWinder · 10/12/2020 08:04

Agree! Boots had a deal on Lady Million recently, usual price £64. I ordered thinking it was 50ml and it was 30!!

For the really expensive i.e Creed, Tom Ford I buy small bottles from Fragrance Samples UK (Not copies/FM) they decant the genuine perfume into sample sizes. 5ml of Creed was around £12 last time but lasts ages as I don't wear it often.

formerbabe · 10/12/2020 08:05

Yes I'm aware you are paying for the brand and all the marketing that goes with it and making it desirable but I would guess that the actual bottle and perfume in it cost pennies to manufacture.

HallFloor · 10/12/2020 08:05

Yes but eventually it will reach a price point where it is so expensive, an average person can't even justify it as a treat or gift. It's a fine line between expensive enough to be desirable and affordable enough that people actually buy it

Of course it won't, if sales fall to a point where it's not viable, they'll change then pricing structure. The manufacturers don't care if "average" people can't buy it, so long as there are enough others that do.

AuntieMarys · 10/12/2020 08:10

I bought dh a bottle of Creed ...£150 😱 I didn't realise till I was putting my pin in. I assumed it would be about £80.
He buys all my perfumes ( thank god) and sources some unusual ones. My favourite is Byredo Biblioteque...I've just googled it and that's £115.
I wear perfume every day regardless of what I'm doing.

AllTheCakes · 10/12/2020 08:11

You can pretty much buy any perfume in Perfume Parlour or from a hun bot on Facebook selling FM. If you’re not bothered about the packaging then buying dupes is fine.

Fortunefavours1 · 10/12/2020 08:12

@Alexandernevermind is this the dupe of the miss Dior original? Any links to the fm one you mention? Tia

Original poster
likeamillpond · 10/12/2020 08:13

@HallFloor

Yes but eventually it will reach a price point where it is so expensive, an average person can't even justify it as a treat or gift. It's a fine line between expensive enough to be desirable and affordable enough that people actually buy it

Of course it won't, if sales fall to a point where it's not viable, they'll change then pricing structure. The manufacturers don't care if "average" people can't buy it, so long as there are enough others that do.

Interesting point. But I can' help thinking if that happens then it could be a big mistake. Very rich people may be willing to fork out at Christmas but maybe not so much the rest of the year. In the meantime, Mrs boring old averagehere , in pre Greedy Bastards times would often buy 'naive perfume up to 5 times a year.

They will lose all those customers.

OP posts: