In a recent survey undertaken by Henry & Co Home Fragrance, which asked customers about their home fragrancing purchasing decisions, fragrance took the number one slot, with Made in Britain in second place, price and sustainable/eco tying for third place and home décor appeal in fourth place.
A further recent evaluation across the company’s nine Midlands gift outlets revealed that wax melts accounted for 25% of sales, followed by reed diffusers at 16%and candles representing 13%. “However, from a seasonal perspective, that inevitably flips over in the winter months,” says Henry & Co Home Fragrance’s co-founder and managing director Mark Rees, “with candles representing a much higher proportion of the sales.”
The survey also revealed that Henry & Co’s customers’ preference is for fresh, fruity fragrances, followed by floral and sweet scents. “Being able to trial products in our stores gives us additional valuable insights,” Mark told GiftsandHome.net, “something we will continue to build on as we develop the range.”
Added Henry & Co’s retail operations director Sharon Green: “We are passionate about engaging with our customers to help us find out their thoughts about what is currently being sold, and to make improvements and product developments tailored directly from our consumer’s feedback. Customers thoughts are at the forefront of our products. They are the ones using them in their home and so they are very definitely our product experts.”
She continued: “By understanding our customers’ preferences, we can use the information to introduce newness into the range. For example, fresh fragrances came out top in terms of preferred fragrances at 80%. This gives us direct feedback and the opportunity to focus on more fresh fragrance smells when introducing newness.
“There is also a difference in shopping habits in terms of our independent retail stores and wholesale customers regarding best selling products. For example, reed diffusers are the preferred product when purchasing from our own stores, whereas wax melts are our top selling product in garden centres.”
Sharon also highlights that products Made in Britain are also important to the company’s customers. “It’s something we should consider not only with our Henry & Co. fragrances, but also the products we sell from other supplier in our retail stores. We always try to support local and purchase products Made in Britain where possible.”
Meanwhile, she highlighted that fragrance appeal was the most important factor when choosing a product from the Henry & Co range, with giftabilty at 10% in terms of being important to the consumer. “This cements the focus and importance of making high quality products that resonate with our customers to encourage return visits, customer recommendations and repeat purchases,” she stated. “However, eco credentials are becoming more important when engaging with customers to build loyalty and a strong reputation. Customers would, without doubt, choose a brand with strong eco credentials over one that didn’t, even if that meant paying more.”
Sharon emphasises that “customer feedback is a gift. It helps us to keep ahead of the trends, ensuring our evolution of product innovation is in line with our customer’s needs. By holding these surveys regularly, it helps to engage with our customer and build brand loyalty. In doing this, consumers will purchase more regularly when they feel invested plus, it creates an emotional connection with the brand making them feel listened to.”
Commenting on a couple of the findings, Sharon told GiftsandHome.net: “It came as a bit of a surprise that the bathroom was the area most customers purchased home fragrance for, with the kitchen scoring only 30%. It was also interesting that floral fragrances came lower than fresh and fruity, with customers preferring the fragrance of orange, grapefruit and lemongrass to lilies and roses.”
Visit www.henryandcofragrance.co.uk
(pic 1) Top: Henry & Co’s Lemongrass & Ginger collection.
