Every time I unwrap a luxury item (actually not very often) the amount of packaging waste really blows my mind. The higher the price/volume ratio for a product, the more the packaging waste…

Speaking of this, while shopping in a personal care and beauty shop, I noticed the below “fountain” device from Mugler Fragrances where customers can refill their favorite perfume. It immediately stroke my sensitive ecology chord…

A bit of background to the story… as I later read, Mugler perfumes Angel and Alien have been around for quite some time, with Angel launching back in 1992 (yes that is prior to the millennium!!!). It is considered an iconic fragrance as at it was the first “gourmand” fragrance (= a perfume consisting primarily of synthetic edible/gourmand notes, such as honey, chocolate etc.) that shocked the perfume industry with this innovation. Current annual sales estimates of Angel along with its companion scent Alien account for approximately €250 million!

I asked the salesperson about the price difference between purchasing a 50ml bottle or refilling one. The answer came as a surprise to me. Purchasing a bottle would cost ~€73 while refilling one would cost ~€39 (both options were on discount at that moment). This is a great deal of saving for either a loyal customer or a younger, cost conscious person who is relative new to the franchise.

Could it be that solutions like the above, hit two birds with one stone? On one hand with such small actions, Mugler Fragrances show that they care about the environment and on the other hand, that they provide to their customers a more cost efficient way to enjoy the brand (and finally stay in the Mugler franchise).

On a closing note, one thing is certain to me… it takes more than offering a great, even breakthrough at a time, perfume to stay relevant for 28 consecutive years.