Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! I hope everyone is having a blessed and wonderful day today. We are getting some nice mild weather here in SC. It's the perfect time to rock Guerlain Vetiver. That got me thinking about the recent troubles that Guerlain has had with sales. So, I decided to make an article on it and give my opinion on why I think this is.
It honestly doesn't please me to do this. As most of you know, Guerlain is my favorite house. I don't like the possibility of them eventually shutting down. I want them to continue what they are doing. However, it's not quite working in the modern fragrance world.
I will preface this saying that some of this stuff consists of rumors. I have not seen anything officially from Guerlain on this. However, I do believe that they are struggling with sales. So, take this with a grain of salt and not as absolute truth. It's just my opinion after all. Let's get into it!
Guerlain's Struggles
Guerlain has been making fragrances for almost 200 years. They have learned quite a bit in that time period. Passing it down from Guerlain to Guerlain until finally handing the reins over to Thierry Wasser, who I believe is an excellent perfumer. I don't Mr. Wasser is at fault for the struggles.
There have been numerous Guerlain boutiques that have been closing around the world. I watched a live stream of U Smells Good and he was saying that they said they have 5 years to get out of debt. I am not entirely sure if he meant Guerlain as a whole or just that boutique. I tried asking several times, but no one in the stream would answer me. So, I just have to go off of assumptions, since I don't know Egen personally to ask him. I do know he is just as crazy about Guerlain as I am.
Guerlain is quite popular in France. they are a household name there. However, in the US most younger men never knew they existed until that shiny white box of L'Homme Ideal Cologne showed up at the rack stores and it was said to be discontinued. They got a taste of Guerlain's style, even though it was a very modern take on what Guerlain is. That still wasn't enough for them to seek out the brand to try more.
Guerlain has a history. It is known as a classic house that makes elegant women's perfumes and gentlemanly men's fragrances. Have they been banking off their previous success too often? Did they not adapt themselves with current fragrance trends? Yes, I think that is the problem. I say that regrettably because that is part of what I love about them. Their older stuff is still perfectly wearable today. Vetiver, Jicky EDP, Shalimar EDP, Habit Rouge, and Mitsouko EDP are a few of the classics I still wear from them. On a totally unrelated topic, they get compliments still from people around my age, which is in the 30s.
Guerlain has always been special in how it can turn every fragrance into something classy. However, current market trends suggest that blue fragrances and ambroxan bombs are what is popular among the general populace. Bleu de Chanel, Dio Sauvage, YSL Y EDP, and others are what companies are pushing. It seems to be working for them. A lot of people have turned to sweet fragrances and aquatics. Other fragrance aficionados want something unique that stands out. Let's be honest here, Guerlain has never been a company that makes fragrances scream at you. They have that classy touch that makes them Guerlain.
So, what is Guerlain to do? I think every house, even niche and indie ones, have a mass-appealing fragrance to boost their sales. For instance, Roja Dove has Elysium Parfum Cologne. I think L'Homme Ideal Cologne was a step in the right direction, but it still wasn't enough. They need to come out with something blue and aquatic. Something to appeal to the younger denizens of the world and put them back into the minds and hearts of the next generation. I am not exactly sure what they would take.
As much as I cringe at the thought of Guerlain making a sweet aquatic fragrance, I must remember that I would rather see them stay in business than agree with all of their releases. If it means they can keep the classics in production and they keep making classy stuff besides a few younger fragrances, then I am all for it.
The Aqua Allegoria line was another step in the right direction. However, if they want to get young men involved in their brand, then they need to not market them towards women. Even though it was said that the entire line is unisex, the majority of the marketing aimed at women. Most of Guerlain's fanbase consists of women who enjoy affordable French luxury. That is why I am saying they need to step outside of their comfort zone and make something for younger men.
It's not too late for them. I pray that it isn't. They still have time to turn it around and make money. It's going to take a new plan though. I am not sure if mine would even work, but it's still my opinion. It would be such a shame to see a house that has such a lineage close up shop. That would mean the world would have a bit less class lingering around in the air. That is not something that most of us would want to see. Let's all hope that Guerlain can make it another 200 years.
Conclusion
I hope you all enjoyed my take on this topic. This wasn't one I was particularly excited about writing. I just wanted to get my opinion out there. I am not sure if they are even in that much trouble. Time will tell, I guess. I do sincerely hope that the information I heard was incorrect.
Keep smelling amazing and doing amazing. You never know how much a positive word could help someone. Be blessed and take care, everyone.
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