cross selling
Some of you may know this already, for those who do not: Tauer Perfumes started more or less out of the blue, wasn’t really planned, and owes a lot to Pascal, the shop owner in Zurich, where folks can buy my perfumes. Pascal had the idea of asking me to make him a perfume for his shop. This is how it started. Actually, it was and still is a book shop. Specialized in books on medieval things, very specialized indeed, and it would not astonish me to find a book there on “Forks and knife, an evolving pattern of dining etiquette at southern Scotland’s courts at the turn of the 13th century”, or something like that.
But wait: There is more. There are a lot of books (and music) on Arabic things and the Maghreb (north Africa, around the Atlas). And there is honey from Georgia, Argan oil from Morocco, carpets, glass ware, wood things made from cedar wood or olive tree wood, lanterns, and true, real damask silk from Syria!
And perfumes. Tauer Perfumes, that sell quite well, I have to admit. Sometimes I wonder why and how he sells them. One reason is: Cross-selling. Watch out: If you buy a book on Hammams there, you might well end up with the perfect perfume going with the book.
Another reason: Authenticity. Pascal does not seem to have a concept, except for one thing. He will only sell things that HE finds good, too.
This brings me to the end of this post, remembering my stay with LuiLei in NY. Maybe we have a selection criterion for future perfume shops representing Tauer Perfumes. At the latest next year I have to come up with a somewhat streamlined vision on how to move on with distributing channels. Authenticity in that sense might turn out to be a good guide. We will do some thinking there. I could feel that Amy and Don follow the same line of thoughts on quality and authenticity, which made me feel very comfortable, maybe they are less cross-selling oriented, for there are non silk ties at LuiLei’s, yet.
By the way: Damask silk scarves anyone?
(a look from the inside out: Pascal’s shop, featuring true damask silk ties)
(Books, Argan oil, perfumes…)
June 19th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Books and perfumes: can it get any more fitting than that?
I do think it an excellent idea to sell in an alternative place where the whole experience counts, not just testing bottle after bottle after bottle. Especially for esoteric perfumes like yours. Antique shops, art galleries, design “concept stores” a la Kawakubo all seem apt.
Love the second photo btw.
June 19th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Dear Helg
It makes sense, yes on one hand. On the other hand, I sometimes think the time will come soon to move one step further and search for a shelf outside these alternative places. I always wondered how my perfumes would do in an average perfume shop, like in a nice fancy street in Berne. And I think we should try it once!
June 19th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Andy, books and perfume and silks–what could be more heavenly? Well, if you throw in a garden, then you have the perfect sensual environment. Perhaps Pascal sells books on gardens? Of course, the lantern you show in the photo is perfect for a dining area in a garden.
A nice perfume shop in Berne sounds like a good baby step toward expansion in the walk-in retail market. There are very few special places like Pascal’s shop in the world, especially in the USA. There are other online specialty perfume shops like Luckyscent, which already carries your fragrances. Beautyhabit is one. The Perfume Shoppe in British Columbia is very highly regarded. I understand your caution about where you would like to have your work represented physically–what kind of environment?
June 30th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Cow Parfymeri in Stockholm, please? Oh wait, I’m not even going to live in Sweden for the year to come, so how would I benefit from that? I guess I’ll have to get your scents from Eie Flud in the nearest future… Unless the prices are to horrible due to the strong pound…
July 3rd, 2007 at 7:56 pm
If everything fails: Book your virgin flight and visit pascal’s shop! And give me a call before to arrange a glass of wine….