Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 10: -Prachi Saini Garg has revived the old Singaporean brand “Perfumes of Singapore”, previously owned by another famous Indian called “Dadi Balsara” in the 1960s. She is on a mission to let the world know about Singapore and its rich floral heritage. Going forward, Prachi has decided to add fun and digitize the world of perfumery by creating Scentopia, a tourist attraction at Sentosa.
Beauty industry and the world of perfumery
Fragrance and perfumery have irrevocably altered the personal grooming habits of individuals in the last 100 years. Previously, perfume was perceived as an exclusive habit of the affluent, but now, fragrance products have gradually made their way into our bathroom essentials.
The global cosmetics market is expected to reach USD 415.29 Billion by 2028 from its previous standpoint in 2021 at USD 287.94 Billion while exhibiting a CAGR of 5.0%. The global fragrance market alone is projected to reach USD 43.620 Million by 2026, from USD 42.070 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 3.4%.
The fragrance market is hanging by the coattails of the beauty product boom because there has been barely any disruption in the field. Though there have been a few attempts at innovation, none of them has been ground-breaking enough to attract the footfall of new-age customers. And the main issue? Lack of personalization. Most brands offer similar and uninspiring products and customer experiences.
The retail experience remains dull. Even before the pandemic, there weren’t many ways to interact with the world in an olfactory sense, but now, with various restrictions, consumers just aren’t engaging with fragrance as they used to in the past.
Is it possible to disrupt the perfume market by using technology?
What the scent industry needs is path-breaking innovation. The perfume industry has been stagnant for far too long, and new-age consumers are clamouring for something new and exciting to disrupt the market. Some brands have tried to fill this need and bridge the gap between the new and the old by bringing technology into the perfume-making mix.
For example, some are improving their web interface by using various suggestion tools that recommend scents based on previous purchases. Others are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to guess what a customer will like based on their searches and posts and provide digital personalization via customer profiling. IBM has recently invested in extended research with their AI, Philyra, a perfume-making robot that crafts scents based on its code.
However, predicting how a human will respond to a certain scent is one of the most complicated notions to conceptualize and depends on many complex factors such as genetics, experiences and culture. Emotions and smell are processed by the same part of the brain, and smell has always been an incredibly personal and intimate thing for people to explore. Two different people may have completely different reactions to the same smell. This is where AI experiences its major downfall.
That’s why Scentopia is focusing on- trying to make the customer experience in their shop as whimsical and magical as possible. After all, what better way to see the world from a fresh point of view than by closing our eyes and opening our minds to the wonderful world of scent!
Personalization has become a massive trend, and most researchers agree that the future of fragrance is built on creating a personalized experience. This idea of personalization has been taken to heart by Scentopia, which offers its customers the opportunity to create their own one-in-a-million perfume. “We want to ensure that your perfume is as unique as you!” Prachi from Scentopia adds proudly.
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing
Prachi was a mom of two young children when she first founded her business. Trying to juggle her work and spend time with her kids was always a challenge, but the IIT graduate managed to meet it. Even after the business was established and running smoothly, the world of tourism was hard-hit after the pandemic, and Prachi found herself making drastic changes to her business model to cut back extra costs.
But as they say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, and the perfumery held up through many trying times.
Starting a business in Singapore
Throughout her childhood, Prachi was fortunate enough to experiment with a great variety of ayurvedic products, some of them homemade. She has lived in several countries with various traditional and ancient beauty traditions. Almost all of them observe different ceremonies related to fragrance.
In India and Singapore, the fragrance is a universal language, a warm gesture of welcome shared with esteemed guests and family alike. From rose tea to henna rituals to spicy food, the realm of aroma is all around us.
Singapore itself is home to many fascinating aromatic traditions. For example, Bunga Rampai in the Malay community is a detailed flower petal arrangement spread across the floor. Peranakans’ houses and clothes are full of floral references.
Even before Singapore was populated, the city was home to thousands of native plants and hundreds of native orchids. Prachi started researching these scented orchids and created a variety of Singaporean scents inspired by local plant life.
Prachi’s hard work paid off when Singapore’s Association of Trade and Commerce recognized her as “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2021.
Singapore Girl
As a history lover, she bought over an old perfume company called “Perfumes of Singapore” and has revived most of their fragrances including, “Singapore Girl”.
This company was founded by the late Ms Christina and Mr Dadi Balsara, two iconic people from Singapore’s glorious past, whose legacy continues to stretch across Singapore’s generations.
Inspiring young women
Prachi is an inspiration to hundreds and thousands of girls who dream of big things to do. If you are ever in the face of a daunting challenge, we hope you can remember her story.
https://www.scentopia-singapore.com/
https://www.scentopia-singapore.com/free_tour_sentosa.html
For more information about the attraction, and for visits, just in case, e-mail – info@scentopia-singapore.com or call +65 91814871
