My go-to choice for buying perfumes is online without a doubt. But I also have to say that, I have regretted a lot of perfumes that I blind bought online, and have zero ones that I regret from in-store.
But I have also learnt my lessons in both of these cases, and hence here are some pros and cons that people like you and me may commonly come across.
Pros of Online Purchase
- Cheaper Prices
Depending on the choice and type of websites you opt for, you may notice significantly lower prices online compared to prices in physical stores. Even when purchasing from an official and authorized seller, you can often secure them at reduced rates using discount codes or taking advantage of general sales.
But sometimes, perfumes are cheaper online without an ongoing sale. You’ll find that these sellers are not authorised sellers of a brand, and are considered a grey market product.
A grey market product, (perfumes in this context), refers to goods sold by unauthorized distributors or through unofficial channels. These products are often acquired in bulk from one territory and resold in another. This is typically done without official authorization. It’s important to note that while grey market products can negatively impact a brand’s business and are unofficial, they do not breach any legal statutes.
- Availability of Choices
Unauthorised distribution channels are not just good for perfumes at cheaper rates. These channels also help perfume lovers explore brands that have yet to be launched in a country officially. Some designer perfume brands from France, or any other part of Europe are hard to find in retail stores in India. But that doesn’t mean people haven’t bought them from unauthorised distributors in India online.
Apart from the availability of different brands, you also have the choice of choosing the quantity. For example, I have better luck buying a 10ml version(official branding) of perfume online than in retail outlets.
If you want to try niche perfumes or indie perfumes, it is easier to buy them online if they ship abroad. These perfumes are not sold and marketed commercially, making them rare finds in most retail outlets. Even if they did, locating them in your city or country might prove challenging. Some other brands strictly only sell online.
- Price Comparison
This is not just restricted to perfumes, but it can be applied more successfully to perfumes. Price comparison is a big part of today’s generation before buying something. Even a 10% discount can be a good deal when you are buying an expensive perfume.
Whether you are buying from an authorised seller or not, the prices of perfumes can vary significantly depending on platforms. But since you are now not confined to a physical place, you have the opportunity to explore various sites selling the same product and compare prices.
- Reviews of Customers
This is in aspect to helping you understand if the product you buy is authentic or not. If you go to a store, there is no 100% guarantee that you will have an authentic product. But you also don’t have the past customers to tell you that they got a fake product. But the same is not the case with online purchases where buyers can leave reviews.
If you are concerned, these reviews will help you make a decision on which source to trust and which sources to avoid. But watch out for reviews about offline stores as well, in Google reviews or sometimes randomly found on Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, etc.
Cons of Online Purchase
- You Cannot Sample Perfumes
It is a no-brainer that when you are ordering perfumes online – no matter how cheap you are getting them – you don’t know its performance and what it smells like
There are notes and accords, and reviews of the scent are easily available on the internet today, along with so many influencers talking about the fragrance as they take a whiff of it. But even with all of these resources, you can end up buying something that you will not enjoy. Even for the more advanced and learned noses, blind buys aren’t great experiences.
However, it’s a whole different thing if you had this perfume before or you have sampled it.
- You Could End Up With Fake Products
This is a big deal. Luxury products like fragrances are always prone to have fraud markets that are focused on creating and selling fake perfumes. The effort these fraudsters make is surprising.
While sometimes you might get a toned-down product with more alcohol, sometimes you might end up buying a dupe of the perfume included in the original bottles. I’m pretty sure there are endless perfume bottles discarded after they are done with the product, and somehow these empty bottles end up in the hands of fraudsters.
Sometimes, you might just get a very similar-looking bottle, but after careful examination, you might find that it is a fake perfume bottle.
This especially happens when you are buying from unauthorised sellers. But note that, I see many experiences shared online about receiving fake products from authorised websites as well. Thankfully, I have never had such an experience.
Note: Always check the return and refund policy before ordering - from both authorised and unauthorised websites.What To Remember Before Buying Perfumes Online
- If a product pricing seems too good to be true, trust your instincts and do some research on the seller. Or rather just don’t purchase from that source at all.
- While reading reviews, look for two types of reviews – one talks about the product itself – whether it is authentic or expiry dated. The other talks about the scent of the perfume – whether the buyers liked it or not. If you want to know about the scent, you should better go to Fragrantica.
- The expiry date of the product will be mentioned somewhere in the description or details depending on the seller or site.
Pros of In-store Purchase
- Availability of Testers
Some people already know what particular perfume they want to buy, and then some people are looking for a certain kind of perfume, or just a perfume, for themselves or for gifting.
As the latter kind of perfume buyer, your best bet is definitely retail stores(in-store purchase). This way, when you visit the store, you get to sample the perfumes, wait for a bit and then decide which one you like. This is a whole different kind of experience as well. Because instead of sitting at home and sampling different perfumes, you get to be outdoors and directly sample in an environment where you probably spend a great amount of the day.
For example, if you like a musky scent, you can sample different types of musky scent in retail stores using testers, and understand the performance the scent may have outdoors. This helps you make an informed decision.
- Easy to Avoid Fake
Shopping at retail stores that specialize in selling designer or high-end perfumes often provides a layer of security against purchasing counterfeit products. These stores have established partnerships with reputable brands and have to maintain their own reputation within the industry. This automatically reduces your coming across fake items in such recognized retail outlets.
There are also certain store policies that contribute to ensuring product quality. Some stores strictly prohibit the resale of cosmetic products that have been returned, irrespective of whether the items have been used or remain unopened. This strict policy dictates that returned products, once they are opened or even if they remain sealed, cannot be placed back on shelves for resale. Instead, these products go to the dumpster.
So shopping at these reputable retail establishments not only diminishes the risk of encountering counterfeit goods but also safeguards you from purchasing products that have been returned, providing an added level of assurance regarding product authenticity and quality.
- Helpful for Beginners
If you are a beginner or novice in anything related to perfumes, you will have a better buying experience with retail outlets where there are guides to help you.
The guides are readily available to assist and educate you on what you are smelling. If you have no perfumery knowledge at all, these guides offer invaluable insights, breaking down the fundamentals into easily understandable terms, and also helping you with a more informed purchase decision.
As mentioned earlier, these guides will even help you discover scents that align with your personality and age. While you might not have an expert’s opinion or guidance, these guides will still be someone who knows more than you. I think even when you want to gift someone, visiting a retail store should be your go-to option.
Cons of In-Store Purchase
- Having to Deal With Salespeople
I’m not the first person and I won’t be the last one when I say that in-store salespeople can be a little intimidating – in various ways. They can be annoying too, for some.
Where I come from, we didn’t have many large stores with salespeople who would follow you around to help you with your purchase. So naturally when I landed in such a store for the first time, I thought they were cautious of whether I might steal the products. But with time, I realised that it was just their job.
I also came across stories of how some people already had perfume in their minds when they walked into the store, but the salesperson told them that it is not for them. They are either telling the customers it’s not suitable for their gender or their age.
As a perfume enthusiast, that would make a lot of us furious because –
- A lot of perfume enthusiasts don’t necessarily believe in perfumes’ genders. They want to wear what they want – and I’m with them.
- Perfume is an art above all, and like many other art, it is subjective. If you have experience with perfumes, there shouldn’t be much restriction with age.
If you are an introvert, you might just end up buying and paying for expensive stuff that you’ll probably never wear in your life. Because that’s just not what you went for, or because you’re now associating the perfume with a bad experience.
What To Know Before Buying In-Store
- Stand your ground. If you are a perfume enthusiast and know your scent, but are not an outspoken person, you just have to come out of your comfort zone for a while. Tell them that you are in the store to buy and not try. This way, you come out of the store buying whatever perfume you wanted versus what the salesperson wanted to sell you. Sometimes, they do this because they think you are not knowledgeable about perfumes, and they want you to make a happy purchase.
