Nisha Sampath’s Post

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Brand Consultant with 25 years of experience in creating actionable consumer insights | Qualitative Research | Strategic Planning | Brand Positioning | Training

Bath & Body Works was doing their annual 1+1 free sale yesterday at the Palladium Mall and the queue at the cash counter was literally stretching through the store. One person in front of me spent 19k. And it's not just in India, I have seen the same crowds in Dubai during the sale. I have seen the same excitement about the sales they post, in online international groups. If there is one pillar that Bath and Body Works is built on, it's understanding and leveraging the power of sensorials (Especially fragrance). They are a brand every perfume marketer can take inspiration from. 1) They never even pretend to talk skin care. They have mastered the underleveraged levers of gourmand language and fragrance to lure you in. Before perfume brands got onto the trend, B&BW was offering mouthwatering Vanilla Sugar, Pumpkin Spice Winter Candy Apple and more. 2) Their fragrances are really good - they probably overdose so that you can really get the smell. I go noseblind smelling perfumes after some time but it's never happened to me at B&BW. Even hardcore perfume enthusiasts will own a couple of B&BW mists, or lotions for layering with their fragrances. 3) Every damn product in B&BW, always has a tester available. You can smell the whole store if you want, try anything before you buy. 4) They actually have a basin in the store (I have seen this in Lush as well). More than sniffing coffee beans, or anything else, washing is simply the best way to get a fragrance off your skin. I am surprised more perfume outlets don't offer this. 5) Smart pricing and psychologically tactical sales and offers, make you feel you are getting a great deal. What I pay B&BW for their scented lotions, I would not pay L'Oreal or Garnier for their more skin-credible brand names. Yet I always feel good about buying B&BW, especially on sale. 6) Handwash, sanitisers, are neglected categories when it comes to great fragrance. But these get used and shared by many more people compared to perfumes and lotions, which are personal products. It's a great way to get more people to sample and talk about your products. I believe there is not a single person on the planet who does not want to smell good. B&BW has really democratised the power of fragrance and made it accessible to many more people compared to designer perfume brands. The only weak area they have, is that they are more focused on women's, than men's fragrances. They have some lost ground to cover up there. Zara and Victoria's Secret have some incredible fragrance products at a good price but they could learn a trick or two from how B&BW markets. I am probably missing a few points here, so add them onto my list!

Vanshika Mehta

Empowering consumer-first businesses to build brand and business together | 100+ E-commerce & Tech Success Stories | Mentor at Masters’ Union, Thingqbator by NASSCOM and Wadhwani NEN

9mo

Im obsessed with their stuff. I’ve been using their shower gels for the last 15 odd years and I keep buying candles like it’s candy haha. Here’s my recent fav

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Vanshika Sharma

Nykaa | Marketing & Brand Management | Nykaa House of Brands | Ex-Swiss Beauty | Ex- Lotus Herbals

9mo

Great insights! Would just like to add about how they put great emphasis on creating an immersive and inviting in store experience. Once you enter the store you see the zoning has been done as per the scents you prefer - fresh and citrus together, all gourmands together. How can we miss their interactive displays - everything is so clearly communicated touch feel and experience. Love how they bring out the various seasonal themes or product themes alive, like one is in a world of that product/ season - taking Gingham as a classic example - everything was immersed in checks. That’s how they make you buy their limited editions / seasonal editions (creating a fomo). Loved how you put it all together, hope my additons helps :)

Nidhi Chauhan

Sr. Research Scientist (Fragrance Lead) at Himalaya Herbal Healthcare | Ex Herbalife | Ex ITC | Ex FFDC

9mo

Absolutely bang on points. In personal care buying decision is majorly based on fragrance experience. B&BW offers that luxury fragrance experience in appealing product format

Sarika .

Social Media Expert | Turning your Followers into Customers

9mo

meanwhile me with scent allergy thinking if all this scent disturbs our hormones😭

Aparna Sanjay

Executive Director & Board member | IIM | LSE | HBS | Passionate about development, philanthropy, inclusion & impact.

9mo

They are visually gorgeous too, and have managed to attract the teen crowd (find ‘em young). My teenager and her friends are obsessed for some reason with candles from B&BW 😊

Shweta Iyer

Co-Founder | Independent Creative Consultant

9mo

Lovely read. Some truly interring points Nisha

Karan Gogna

Senior Associate | Secondary Research | Immediate Joiner

9mo

Absolutely agree with all of the above points, Ma'am. Another point that I would like to add is their attractive and colourful, vibrant packaging that appeals to and allures everyone, especially young girls and women. The visual appearance of any product is often a key factor in deciding whether a customer finally ends up purchasing it or not, as that is one of our key senses besides the sense of smell, and BB&W never fails to take note of that. Even their store layout and visual merchandising are so on point that one feels tempted to enter.

Siddhi Bangard

Human Resources Professional| UPSC faculty

9mo

Could not agree more, fragrance has been underrated for a long time, even when both genders align to it. Smelling good makes you feel good and stand out. I have often paid for fragrances of the products more than the brand, I still feel smelling good is still underrated in India, we are a tropical country, we should definitely think about it 😅

Rajani Kumar

Enabling effective communications

9mo

Back in the US, I used to wait for the BOGOF sale days to stock up on their products. Happy to see them here too now but have so far resisted the temptation...let's see for how long. Loved this post, Nisha!

Arjav Modi

Figuring out 20s • Content, Communication, Branding • IIT Kanpur

9mo

Enter Select City Mall, Saket any time of the day, & all you can smell is B&BW's amazing perfume products 😂🐽 They have learnt the art of perfumes, fancy terminology & wide variety of use case. ❤️

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