Look ‘n’ Smell Good Factor Scores

Beauty comes at a price, and people in the valley are willing to pay that price to look and smell good. The cosmetics and perfume trend has picked up considerably as people have become more aware and self-conscious. The middle class now seeks to stay in tune with everything that comes in the market as well as stay abreast of current trends.

“We see the middle class becoming more and more conscious of what is in as far as cosmetics and perfumes go, and they are very willing to spend to look and smell good,” said Sabina Maskey, supervisor at Bluebird Cosmetic Department. Indian brands like Revlon and Street Wear are very popular among customers in the valley while Pierre Cardin and Florelle are well liked as well. “We are importing Indian and American Revlon. It comes in the high price category and is doing very well in Kathmandum,” she added. Products by Florelle are priced at anything between Rs 200 to Rs 2,650 while Revlon goes up to Rs 2,000. Street Wear is a more budget buy. Perfumes and colognes by Hugo are the most sought after, with prices ranging anywhere between Rs 2,500 to Rs 7,000.

“People here have strong purchasing power, especially the middle class. We bring in products and they sell pretty well,” said Narottam Dangal, owner of a perfume store 5th Avenue, a store at Sherpa Mall, caters to all pockets. Perfumes ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 10,000 are available here

“There has been an increase in the cosmetics and perfume purchasing trend. What was initially targeting the upper crust is now being bought by the middle class. There is no disparity as far as purchasing power is concerned,” said Binod Bakharel, manager.

Face care products by L’Ore- al, Garnier and Olay are also very popular. L’Oreal products also range in the high-end category but most people are now going with quality rather than price, said Naresh Shakya, supervisor at Bluebird Departmental Store. “People don’t worry about price as long as the product is good. Garnier and L’Oreal are favourites among most customers who come here,” he added. The market is an oasis of op- portunity and people are making the very best of it as long as it caters to their needs. All the people are willing to spend.