Interview at Galeries Lafayette with a Vendor at the CHANEL stand

Flore Custot
22 nov. 2021
3 min de lecture

Dernière mise à jour : 30 nov. 2021

"- Hello, thank you for answering my questions for the blog Aroma Diary. How would you define the Chanel N°5, and what are the sales arguments for this perfume range?

- First of all, there is the Eau de parfum, which is the most famous. It's a bouquet of flowers spiced up with vanilla. It is different and timeless. We are still celebrating 100 years of the N°5 collection, which is a symbol of the house.

- It is true that it is found everywhere, even on your over your sweater.

- Yes, it is true and even also on the facades of the shops. N°5 is now available in 5 versions. There is the perfume extract dating from 1921 and then the N°5 Eau de parfum with vanilla, the Eau de Toilette which has a bottle very different from the others. More recently, L’Eau Première and N°5 L’Eau have been released. Do you know the details related to the bottle and the cap?

- I know the shape is initially inspired by the flabby of a Gabrielle Chanel lover.

- Ah, I did not know this detail. In fact, the bottles were designed in such a way that the cabochon echoed the motif of Place Vendôme, which was near Coco Chanel's apartments because she lived at the Ritz for years. It was in Rue Cambon that she opened her first hat shop in 1910.

- Interesting. In general, how would you define the clientele buying perfume N°5?

- The Eau de parfum evokes a lot of emotions. It is timeless because it is in some way a heritage; we all had a figure like our grandmother, who wore the number 5. The clientele is mostly rather elderly; it is mixed. Some men buy this perfume too.

- It's true that there was an advertisement with Brad Pitt for N°5.

- Yes, that is true, and the last two versions, L'Eau Première and N°5 L'eau appeal to a younger clientele.

- Maybe also thanks to icons like Lily-Rose Depp.

- Certainly yes, but these two versions really have more pep than the others.

- Do you associate the perfume with anyone?

- Chanel N°5 perfume is easily associated with celebrities. It was the Parfum de Marilyn that wore it to sleep, and it was worn by many others like Catherine Deneuve, if I am not mistaken.

- Yes, it's true.

- N°5 is iconic. When we smell it, we think of a member of our family like our grandmother or of a figure that we admire or that is familiar to us."

With this interview, we can see the importance of the brand's history in the sales process. The salespeople have extensive training in the brand's history, the different products, and Coco Chanel designer. In the case of Chanel N°5, every detail is explained. For example, the shape of the bottle that evolved over the years. At first it was a minimalist bottle inspired by the Russian Imperial Guard vodka flasks owned by Coco's lover, and now this bottle is imagined as a jewel filled with history. It respects the codes of Coco by mixing elegance and transparency. In addition, the echo in Place Vendôme makes sense because it reflects the brand's origins and the seamstress's past.

Today, we find the shape of the bottle and the number 5 everywhere on the outfits of the sales team or on the facades of Chanel shops such as 19 rue Cambon. For Christmas 2020 we saw the Camellias, the Tweed, signature material of Chanel, the 5 branch comet symbol of the "Bijoux de Diamants" and of course the Chanel N°5, first perfume bearing the name of a seamstress.

The Collection for Chanel N°5 now consists of 5 versions targeting a varied clientele by playing on the perfumes' composition, packaging, and chosen muses. Its flowery composition considered as "a bouquet" of 80 ingredients is highlighted and each component creating vanilla, sweet or floral notes are presented to please demanding customers.

For some, N°5 plays on our sensitivity and awakens feelings such as nostalgia when thinking of our family members, and for others, the scent is that of stars like Marilyn Monroe. It remains a timeless classic, and if we let ourselves be tempted, we can end up buying this sure value.

Thank you very much, Clément, for answering my questions and introducing me to the Chance collection.

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This interview was realized on November 17, 2021, at Galeries Lafayette at the clearly visible CHANEL stand in the center of the coupole.