Perfumes have been appealing to a wide audience in markets across the globe. Coupled with the growth of e-commerce, customers worldwide can enjoy ease of accessibility when it comes to buying unique luxury or everyday perfumes online – this makes having a reliable shipping experience ever more important.
What do you picture when asked to think of your favourite scents or fragrances?
For some, it’s fresh sheets, while others picture white, sandy beaches. Whatever it is that comes to mind, there is no denying that a good perfume has the power to change your mood or take you on a trip down memory lane. An inviting fragrance is rather powerful; it is no wonder that the perfume industry is projected to grow and reach over US$72 billion globally by 2023, as reported by Mordor Intelligence. .
Australia’s making its mark in the fragrance industry
When we think of big perfume houses, France and Italy usually come to mind, followed by England. In general, Europe has been established as the home of fragrances.
But, in the past few years, there has been a shift in the world of fragrance – many consumers are now not only relying on these big and renowned brands to tell them what a scent should be. Instead, they are now looking towards lesser-known brands formulated with unique botanicals.
Here’s where Australian perfume manufacturers step in: Australia is home to some of the most incredible raw ingredients like white cypress oil, blue cypress, and sandalwood that can be used in fine fragrances. Australian perfume manufacturers have been pouring their hearts and souls into creating perfumes that capture the many amazing places around Australia. Using key native botanicals from a specific region in each scent, perfume manufacturers in Australia are paving the way for fine fragrances and giving the European scents a real run for their money.
But, no matter the type of perfume you sell, shipping perfumes, whether domestically or internationally, can be a risky endeavour. If you are a perfume manufacturer in Australia or an e-commerce company looking to ship your products, then it is important to understand the shipping rules and regulations, packaging protocols, as well as handling fees. Read on as we cover more below.
Unique challenges of shipping perfume
The challenge of shipping perfume is often twofold. First of all, most of these goods are packaged in glass bottles, which means they’ll require special handling and packaging. Secondly, perfumes are often classified as hazardous materials as a result of their alcohol content and thus cannot be shipped like any ordinary parcel. Even if they do not contain alcohol, some of the other risks associated with shipping perfume include product drops, breaks, spills, flammability, or dangerous reactions when they come in contact with another substance.
But, this does not mean that all perfumes are hazardous. Instead, they require a lot of special care during the shipping process. As such, perfume manufacturers and business owners have to work around the product classifications and requirements of the specific country they are shipping to.
To safely ship your perfume bottles, it is important that you understand the product classifications attributed to these items. And these may differ slightly across various logistics companies as well, but they are typically in line with the country’s regulations. If the goods are hidden, declared incorrectly, completely undeclared or packed incorrectly, there is a risk of health and safety being compromised, and as such, fines may be imposed.
Tips for packaging perfume to keep it safe for worldwide shipping
Here are some packaging tips to ensure that your perfume shipments are safely delivered to your consumers.
1. Include packing materials to keep the perfume safe in transit
Many perfumes are packaged in glass bottles which can break easily during the last-mile delivery phase. As such, when shipping perfume, you should use several layers of protection, whether it’s cardboard or padding around the bottle, to hold the perfume in place. You can also add extra dunnage to prevent your product from moving around in transit. If you are shipping perfume internationally in bulk, it is best to ensure each perfume container is wrapped separately with the appropriate dunnage, especially if you are storing them as bare bottles.
You should lay the bottom of the box with protective inner packaging material like bubble wrap or foam blocks before placing the contents to be shipped within the box. We also recommend filling the void spaces with more protective materials until there is no empty space left. Check out our Packaging Guide here for more details.
2. Choose the right shipping packaging
Many carriers or logistics companies require liquids to be stored in leak-proof containers. The shipping box or container should be slightly larger than the item you are shipping. At DHL Express, we understand that choosing the right packaging can be challenging. Hence, if you choose DHL as your international perfume shipping partner, we can help make it easier by advising you on the right box size based on the item size and your indicated packaging preferences. All you have to do is to reach out to our customer service team so that we can progress from there.
3. Check local laws and regulations
As long as your perfume or cologne contains alcohol, it is considered a hazardous item. Hence, there are special considerations that you have to be aware of, all of which vary by country and region. However, you can always check delivery and packaging specifications listed by the individual country. Alternatively, you can also reach out to our logistics experts to find out more.
By understanding the different carrier and shipping destination restrictions, you’ll be able to avoid costly delays and reduce consumer disappointments.
