As a child I was always fascinated by stories of the Arabian Nights, by the tales of Sinbad, by the lure of souks and markets in faraway lands selling artisan products and spices in a world that was so very different from my California suburban stores. As an adult I was able to visit some of these places when I traveled to Beirut, Istanbul, Marrakech and Tunis. I appreciated each country’s individual culture, history, art and above all, the people. Perhaps this admiration is part of the reason why I had a special affinity for the fragrances classified as “oriental”. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that this term was derogatory or offensive, but the world is not the same as it was in my youth.

Following the 3 waves of the pandemic, many countries around the world have started to open up and consumers are going back into stores. What experience awaits shoppers in the fragrance and beauty department? I wrote about this topic earlier in June when I visited six shops in central Paris*, and in this article, I broaden the scope to include Italy, China, Australia and the US. What is clear is that retail has changed and that there is still a lot of uncertainty and a lack of universal protocol. Let’s span the globe and dive into what’s happening and what the future may bring.

Laurence climbed the mountain, withstanding major hurdles. Her commitment to protect nature is relentless. Nout uses non-violent creative action towards a sustainable world. Being at peace with nature is its perfume mission.

It’s no surprise to anyone that in recent years consumers have reassessed their shopping habits in the direction of conscious consumption across all sectors. For fine fragrance, consumer studies show that there is a demand for companies to be more eco-conscious, more transparent, more responsible, and authentic in their practices. Consumers are concerned about the environmental impact caused by businesses, and they use their wallet to support the companies with which they align. Anticipating this evolution, Givaudan, one of the world’s leading flavors and fragrances companies, saw a need to make changes in the way things were being done, and their Naturality Platform™ opens a new chapiter in conscious olfactory creation. This project represents a sea-change welcomed by all internal teams and is in keeping with the company’s motto Create with Love for Nature, as well as their objective of getting B Corp certification and becoming carbon positive by 2050. I was recently invited to the Paris headquarters to learn more about this initiative in an immersive, scent experience hosted by Xavier Renard, Global Head of Fine Fragrances.