Our adventure in the world of perfume logistics began just over a decade ago.

The reality was in fact that Savitransport had already regularly handled perfume shipments for several world-renowned luxury Made In Italy brands. However, in 2011 it became apparent that a separate division was necessary, both as a cornerstone and logistics base, when a famous brand of ambience perfumes asked us to ship and distribute their luxury creations to the United Arab Emirates. This led to Savitransport Perfume Logistics being founded.

It was on that occasion that it finally became clear to us that shipping perfumes, which are catalogued as dangerous goods as they contain alcohol, is a complex field, where it is essential to devote time and resources, but that this has also contributed to us becoming a point of reference and leaders in the area of Perfume Logistics.

If you pause to think about it, inspiration and technical know-how are fundamental to those that actually create a perfume; a scent able to offer a unique and unrepeatable sensorial experience, and therefore it is a logical consequence that the supply chain should also reflect a superior level of preparation.

Perfume is one of Italy’s many excellences, as are footwear, luxury cars, couture clothing and furniture, just to name a few. The potential in terms of export became very clear to us. The growth in export for perfumery and beauty care products has been constant over the past few years and the outlooks forecast further increases in future volumes. The positive performance of this sector is visible to all, to such an extent that the attention to the enhancement of an olfactory element is now a consolidated trend in the worlds of fashion and design.

There are very few hotels, restaurants or trade fair stands, where the outfitting has not included the importance of a fragrance, in the hope of promoting an olfactory experience in its guests or visitors. Fragrance manufacturers have also demonstrated their ability in offering products to suit all types of markets and consumers, developing for example niche fragrances, personalised perfumes and, as in many other fields, creating these products via organic and sustainable methods.

The challenges faced by producers wishing to introduce their fragrances to international markets are very many and these can be often be seen as being insurmountable, if they are not assisted and counselled by experienced strategic partners, capable of guiding them through the processes needed to break down the potential barriers to these markets.

We are often contacted by manufacturers who have finalised overseas orders, but who are wholly unaware of the logistics and shipping implications when dealing with hazardous goods. Even experienced Logistics Managers, who are unfamiliar with this specific area may have no concept of even the most standard Dangerous Goods requisites, for example: the DGD Shipper’s Declaration, Multimodal IMO, approved packaging, labelling and markings.

The generally very strict regulations regarding the handling of dangerous goods impose on one hand, the need for manufacturers to comply with these regulations in order to avoid serious consequences, penalties and even possible criminal charges, whilst on the other hand, the need to efficiently manage the entire shipping process. From the earliest stages of planning, it is crucial to ensure the commodity becomes the focal point, in what should be seen as a specifically designed all-encompassing approach. Failure to take this into account, on the other hand, risks thwarting or at least reducing one’s creative and commercial efforts.

On other occasions we have been contacted by companies that have the opportunity of accessing an overseas market thanks to their participation in a Trade Fair, or perhaps a winning market advertising campaign, but who are then unable to move forward due to the disproportionate costs of shipping the samples. There are also cases where companies have already closed their first overseas orders, only to watch their profit margin disappear due to shipping and logistics costs. There are also companies that find overseas clients, but who then run into problems with licences that are required at destination, not to mention those who have their goods refused at the airport of departure, or worse still, refused at the airport at destination, causing orders to be cancelled and facing hefty charges for the return of the shipment.

All these cases studies illustrate how important perfume logistics is and why special attention is needed. For us, this has meant the creation of a dedicated team, highly experienced and specialized in this particular field, able to offer our clients a strategic, unparalleled perfume logistics service. In practice, our team offers support and council to both the smaller company taking its first international steps, as well a larger companies, perhaps already established overseas, who may simply wish to improve their performance. We believe our experience can help and assist our clients in introducing correct guidelines and dangerous goods practises. We are certain that with our guidance and services, implementing these practices and therefore being in a position to resolve any possible critical issue allows overseas shipping to become efficient and profitable and should ultimately be seen as an advantage over any competitors.

F.S.