With sales of fragrances at US drugstores at an all time low, CVS is fortifying its presentation by launching a collection of fine fragrances under its Essence of Beauty private label brand. The 7,400 store pharmacy chain has offered bath and body products under the Essence of Beauty label for several years and stores are already outfitted with Essence of Beauty end-of-aisle displays.
Crafted by perfumers Arnaud Winter, Constance Georges-Picot and Shinta Judana, CVS is calling the fragrances its most significant beauty innovation of the year. Packaging and select formulations of the bath and body products are also being revamped.
In 2012 retail sales of traditional men’s scents at US drugstores (excludes mists and toiletries) slid 4.58% to $115,135,800, while the women’s segment (excludes body mists) tumbled 6.71% to $198,699,000, according to Symphony/IRI. A lack of innovation by branded fragrance manufacturers has been partly to blame.