Parfums de Marly is thinking more broadly than personal fragrance.
The Advent International-owned fragrance brand is entering the home diffuser market, with a device that will retail for $395, while each scented refill cartridge will cost $80. The device will debut on the brand’s website Friday before rolling out with Neiman Marcus exclusively, with more partnerships to come in 2025.
The refills are recyclable, and the device features a dry diffusion technology.
“It’s a very important project for us that took three years to develop the system for,” said Yvan Jacqueline, president, Americas, Parfums de Marly and Initio Parfums Privés. “It is a vent, creating wind, which passes through a tape filmed with perfume oil. It’s pretty simple, and the development was ground in having something playful, easy-to-use and luxurious.”
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Last year, Advent International acquired Parfums de Marly, as well as sister brand Initio Parfums Privés, at a deal that valued both brands at more than $700 million. Together, the two had a retail sales volume of $366 million the year prior.
At that time, the brand had roughly 1,400 points of sale, with the U.S. and Asia representing the lion’s share of the business.
“This whole market is something completely new for us,” Jacqueline said. “We don’t really know what to expect, but there is for sure a huge opportunity. We believe this diffuser will be a very strong start.”
Jacqueline posited that it’s still a friendly price point, given the ultra-luxe positioning of Parfums de Marly’s personal fragrances. “For the price of one perfume, basically, you get the diffuser which comes with one tape,” Jacqueline said. “Anyone able to afford the perfume can afford the diffuser. It will help us recruit new customers, and we expect it to be a beautiful tool for that for people that maybe don’t know the brand.”
Parfums de Marly is unveiling four variations of the scent cartridges — three existing heroes, and one new, developed specifically for home. Delina, Althaïr and Haltane are all personal fragrances the brand sells, though Délice d’Épices, is “perfect for the festive season,” Jacqueline said.
“We have to see what kind of smell the customer demands, and then continue to extend this olfactive library,” Jacqueline continued. “You can also layer the tapes, up to four. The more depth you have, the stronger it is. Our clients love layering and love to play around.”
The product is also designed to operate at varied intensities. “You can increase the vent power or reduce it depending on the strengths you need. Basically, you keep it at half-strength when you’re alone and it’s more than enough. But if you have a party with 50 people, you put it at maximum and add more cassettes,” Jacqueline said.
The diffuser can also connect to a phone app, which allows users to activate it remotely. “It can quickly fill a room,” Jacqueline said. “But if you don’t want to smell it anymore, the air clears in three minutes. It’s very functional and very practical.”
