New times have posed new challenges": meeting of perfume manufacturers took place at the RUSSIA EXPO

A meeting in the format of an open dialog with CEOs and founders of perfume and cosmetics brands was held at the RUSSIA EXPO as part of the Days of Perfumery. Producers of Russian perfumery, both well-known brands and those just establishing their niche, shared the subtleties of fragrance production and recipes for success.

"Together with our colleagues from other companies and the Ministry of Industry and Trade we are making every effort to localize production in Russia, to make a complete cycle of perfume production. There is a problem in raw materials - fragrance substances. But I know that the Ministry of Industry and Trade is actively working on the support and development of chemical production in the segment of cosmetics and perfumes," said Natalia Vologodskaya, marketing director of Arlab.

The manufacturer also spoke about the launch of a new brand Avec Defi, inspired by the cultural heritage of Russia, such as the Russian ballet, the Amber Room and the first human flight into space: "The name of the brand came from music. Thus, the character and tempo of the performance was outlined by composer Alexander Scriabin in his work "Prometheus". It is quite difficult to translate it into Russian, the closest thing would be to say "play with a challenge". And we decided to name our line this way, because it justifies the nature of the Avec Defi perfume line".

According to a study by labeling system operator CDPT, 140 million perfume bottles from various manufacturers were on the market in Russia in 2023. Of these, about 60 million were units of imported products, and about 80 million were perfumes and toilet water produced in Russia. For the first time in many years, Russian production increased by more than 30%.

"New times have posed new challenges. And one of the big projects we have been developing is the import substitution project. We are proud that we managed to fulfill everything very quickly," said Natalia Eshkinina, director of Faberlic Perfumery division.

The representative of the brand said that Russia is traditionally very fond of perfumery: the number of bottles on the shelf, which are used by customers, is increasing - perfume is no longer a "product of the celestials". Now perfume is selected for different moods.

"Preferences are very different. And if we look at it through the lens of marketing, the arrival of artificial intelligence in the perfume industry is significant. Back in 2021, our company released a fragrance that was created by artificial intelligence. But it is important to realize that robots came into our lives not to replace humans, but to help them. That's why after the AI proposed the formula, it was the master perfumer who finalized and made the fragrance unique," emphasized Natalia Eshkinina.

The International RUSSIA EXPO is held on the territory of VDNH in Moscow from November 4 to July 8. Visitors are presented expositions of 89 regions of Russia, leading federal departments, corporations and public organizations. More than 9 million people have already visited the Exposition.