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2009-01-09
Imitation perfumes invade Algerian market
By Mouna Sadek for Magharebia in Algiers – 09/01/09
Strong scents of jasmine, roses and lilac overwhelm passers-by who approach the entrance to the El Baraka boutique in central Algiers.
Inside the shop, in front of the bottles adorning the counter, Nassima leafs through the catalogue of name-brand fragrances for which imitations are available. A secretary for a state-run company, Nassima intends to buy herself no fewer than five imitation luxury perfumes for her bridal trousseau.
"Even if I buy a dozen of these copies, that won't cost as much as a single bottle of an original perfume, so I'll save a lot. They have the same scent as the originals, it's just that the copies don't last as long," she explained. "I have to think about the preparations for my wedding and I can't afford a perfume that would cost half of what I earn," she said. "That would be crazy."
![[Getty Images] Imitation designer fragrances are popular among Algerians who refuse or are unable to pay for the originals.](/awi/images/2009/01/09/090109ReportagePhoto1-650_429.jpg)
![[Getty Images] Designer perfumes can cost more than ten times than equivalent imitations.](/awi/images/2009/01/09/090109ReportagePhoto2-650_429.jpg)
She then carefully selects the crystal bottles into which imitations of Givenchy's Amarige, Dior's Midnight Poison and the renowned Chanel No. 5 will be poured.
In this shop, renowned fragrances which embody dreams, sensuality and desire bear no labels or special markings. Customers choose generic, refillable bottles to contain copies of famous brands.
Bootleg perfume vendors are quick to point out that their replica fragrance business does no harm. "What we do here is imitation, not forgery. There's a big difference. The basic extracts are original. We make products of excellent quality, no one can deny that. The Chinese haven't gotten into this market. Our suppliers are all based in Europe," one store manager behind the counter explained.
"There aren't many people who can offer a perfume for 6,000 dinars," he added. "Maybe there's a minority of people who can buy them when they go abroad on holiday, but for the vast majority of Algerians, who earn barely 15,000 dinars a month, they're a luxury item."
One of the other managers insists that the products they import are tested by European laboratories. "We have testing and conformity certificates. There are also the quality and fraud inspection services of the Ministry of Trade," he asserted.
Shops which offer imitation perfumes usually have names inspired by religion, such as El Baraka, or names with eastern connotations, such as Sansabil or the Parfumeries d'Andalousie.
Sansabil in Algiers offers imitations of nearly 400 brands consisting of a mixture of 20-45% perfume essence, 10% distilled water and the rest alcohol. Each perfume shop seems to have its own recipe.
Consumers are concerned that perfume-makers try to maximise their profits by using low-quality alcohol such as methyl instead of the much more expensive ethyl. Most of the perfume-shop managers we spoke to deny resorting to such ruses.
Prices vary from one shop to the next, but, as one retailer noted, "These perfumes only cost a tenth of the price of the originals." Industry experts agree that the demand for brand names depends on people's income. The cost of French labels may be oppressive to many, so the imitation market fills a need, especially since, as El Baraka's owners told Magharebia, there is now "a perfume culture in Algeria".
At El Baraka, a 50ml bottle averages about 500 dinars, while at the Parfumeries d'Andalousie, 50ml bottles retail for 800 dinars. Prices are the same for all imitation brands. In high-end boutiques the cost of a 50ml bottle of an original brand-name perfume ranges from 5,200 to 8,000 dinars.
"The fact is that these products have an aura of magic about them. It's a matter of self-pampering. No one would want to buy a perfume for 150 dinars," said Hakim Laribi, the chief executive of the Cophyd Group, a member of the Perfume-Makers' and Cosmetics Association.
Still, he conceded, "Making luxury perfumes doesn't cost a lot."
Big international manufacturers carry out very thorough marketing studies, Laribi explained, adding that his own research has revealed the level of quality that Algerians want.
"I did a test with lavender. I gave people different varieties of lavender ranging from the most expensive to the lowest quality. Seventy per cent of the people we spoke to prefer the lowest-quality one. The big internationals are definitely questioning why they should offer top-quality perfumes. Levels of required quality and consumption can differ."
The rising value of the euro has pushed up the price of name-brand, authentic perfumes. As a result, the Algerian market is swamped with forgeries. Many consumers have even come to believe it is preferable to use imitation products rather than labelled merchandise. At least they know what's in the copycat fragrances.
"Even in the highest-end boutiques you can find products that can pose health risks," said Zhor, a teacher who regularly buys imitation perfumes.
The Ministry of Trade has raised the alert regarding the forgery of perfumes and cosmetics. Customs officers have seen the importation of forged products spike. Cosmetics and hygiene products are number one on their list of confiscated goods, accounting for 30.86% of seizures. In 2007 they captured over 2 million counterfeit items in some 50 or so sweeps.
Big manufacturers are less concerned by the perfume imitation business, however, than they are by the forgery of packaged products.
"If you go into a shop where there are no Chanel or Dior labels, you can't accuse them of anything," said Hakim Laribi.
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POST YOUR COMMENT 16
غزل 2011-9-9
I want an Algerian trademark please!
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mouldi 2010-10-29
I do not understand where the brave customs officers get the numbers concerning banned products and everything from or all this imitation goods from when everything sold in Algeria is counterfeit – not just the perfumes. There are watched, appliances and top brand purses. More seriously, there are food products with false labelling because everything that has past its expiry is unsellable, so if the expiration dates are passed, they are imported with falsified labels at lower prices and resold in Algeria for exorbitant prices. Moreover, this is dangerous for the poor consumer, who is ignorant of all the trafficking that goes on between customs officers and importers in light of the corruption. The country has entered into a dangerous phase and, humorously, the president finds no shame in saying that he is fighting against corruption, which started with his brother and his entourage, because what is going on dates back to Boumedienne’s time, and he was one of the leaders back then.
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sel 2010-8-16
Salam alaikoum- I want to let you know that I hear a report on these imitation perfumes. They are produced with cow urine, and thus improper for the Muslim religion (for people, for example, who put on perfume in the morning before going to work. This is because only the urine of a breastfeeding mother does not need to be cleaned and is thus acceptable. Brothers, it is better to look at the content and production method that you use to avoid these perfumes, because brands do not make the person. We can pass on this – there are not vital. –Blessed end of fast!
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Petrovsky 2010-2-12
For my part, as a consumer of these products, I am very satisfied – and that is a poor way to put it. I am satisfied for myself and for all the consumers who arrive go so low as to make themselves happy and – it must be said – make those around them happy too. Millions of Algerians still live under the poverty line and three quarters of the population are middle class. So, if the client is content and the vendor as well and the product is not dangerous to your health, then I will say aloud, “Long live these imitation products!” Personally, I plan on opening my own shop in a little while. Thank you for having read this. Long live life! Smell the sweet and intoxicating scents of living cheaply. Moreover, it makes sense. -Goodbye
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BELNACE 2009-8-22
Hello- This is an excellent article. He made the distinction between imitations and counterfeits. I represent a manufacturer of perfumes and other products, which was established in Algeria in 1990. We have our own creations, which we make and license in France, and we import finished products. Our consumers are not fooled into paying 200 to 500 dinars for a bottle of imitation perfume, thinking it is the original. A good, quality imitation is beneficial for everyone involved. In Anglo-Saxon countries, which are the opposite of protectionist France, this has posed no problem. The risk comes rather from the speculators who shamelessly copy perfumes and, even worse, lotions, hygiene product and make-up, presenting them as the originals. These products are quite visible and evident to any official control that deigned to open its eyes. Regarding this type of imitation/counterfeit activity, Algeria joins most underdeveloped countries in having lax controls. -Sincerely
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نصيرة 2009-4-27
Salam alikum. How are you darling? thank you for the information. Are these perfumes available here in Algeria? Sincerely yours, your sister Nassira.
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اقبال 2009-3-31
After greetings, I want please information about all beauty products.
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sue 2009-2-11
The problem is when they cheat people, selling them imitations at the price of the original without telling them what it is.
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Eric 2009-1-28
Following Mark’s comment, can anyone inform me if there are Algerian businesses (in Algeria) that make their own original perfumes at affordable prices like Rasasi in Dubai? Thank you for your response.
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Nouchka 2009-1-25
Are the original perfumes for sale in Algeria? If this is the case, then how do we go about getting them and ensuring ourselves that they are the good and true product? -Thank you for your response
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Mark 2009-1-20
What about the original - branded - good quality perfumes but selling at affordabel prices. In the price range of 500 to 1000 Dinars. Isn,t it a good option for traders and consumers to deal and buy these kind of products. Few companies in the world do exist making excellent perfumes at affordable prices like Rasasi from Dubai. They may not be present in Algeria but are in neighbouring countries.
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Lila 2009-1-16
I would like to respond to Nenuphar so as to tell him that in this specific case it is not counterfeiting, which exists everywhere, but imitation. The bottles, as is reported in the article, have no labels. The clients well know that these are not the original products.
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Nenuphar 2009-1-13
This is the common lot of all developing countries, so why focus on Algeria, which is on the tail end of consuming counterfeit products? Go to Morocco, for example, and you will see that same thing has been going on since times of yore. And, in that country, it is not just perfumes, but also watches like Rolex, Bulgari and Patek Philippe that are clearly fake. So, please do not take people for idiots and have the courage to deal with the countries of the Maghreb in the same manner, without bias even in spite of your preference for Morocco.
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Lilia 2009-1-13
I myself am a consumer of these imitation perfumes. They are not as bad as they say. This is an excellent article! Bravo!
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Eng. Hasan Al-Bahkali 2009-1-10
Facilitating and simplifying for people and with time, quality will improve and will be affordable by all. Engineer Hasan Al-Bahkali.
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dzfoot 2009-1-9
Algeria the land of fake produce.
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