Page 56 - IAADFS Summit 2023 Special Edition

INSIDER

Essence Corp. held a week of trainings at
the end of March for Beauty Advisors on the
Uruguayan border to explain the company’s
new business model distribution, covering more
than 200 attendees from the towns of Rivera, Rio
Branco and Chui. Shown here is the group from
Rivera.

hotels weren’t even open yet. We stayed
with our retailers. We came back right after
COVID, as soon as we could.”
Antoine Bona adds: “Also, we had
much less turnover in our company,
so when we resumed we had staff in
place, and did not have to rebuild our
buyer relationships. And because we had
been communicating virtually with our
customers, we continued building our long-
term relationships with our retailers and the
buyers, more than other companies who
may have just hired new people. And now
we are back in person. It is hard to break
very efficiently during the pandemic. between being flexible but still being able that connection.”
Luckily, we went back to in-person office to give support to the market and meet its Essence Corp. also expanded its
meetings, but we’ve learned how to remain goals. markets, even venturing outside of the
well communicated and productive in “Many groups became paralyzed Americas.
many new ways.” during the pandemic, and stopped Essence Corp. began working with
Zoom and Team meetings are still in investing. We continued to support the Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works
place because Essence Corp. is currently market and ended up gaining market for the Caribbean and Travel Retail
operating under a hybrid system of flex share,” said Jean Jacques Bona. Americas in 2014; and then in 2021, BBW
work. “This was not the first crisis we appointed the company as its worldwide
“We give our staff the leeway to work were facing. Remember the year with Travel Retail distributor.
from home and come into office once, five hurricanes in the Caribbean? And Closer to home, Essence Corp.
twice, three times a week, depending on the the difference between Essence and the expanded to the Brazilian borders and
division,” noted Antoine Bona. competition, I would say, is that we don’t now in Uruguay, it is able to expand
Jean Jacques Bona explains that cut expenses. We were the first one coming its distribution outside of the major
the company was able to find a balance back to St. Marten and St. Thomas. The multinationals.
“We also got some new brands,” said
Jean Jacques Bona. “We have introduced
the lovely high-end Parfums de Marly in
the Americas (as of 2021). The brand was
#3 in Haute Parfumerie fragrances in the
U.S. wherever it was available in 2022.”
“In addition, our current groups have
added brands as well,” said Antoine Bona.
“Euroitalia purchased Atkinsons 1799 and
they got the license agreement for Michael
Kors, and Brunello Cucinelli coming
soon. And Interparfums added Ferragamo,
DKNY, Moncler, Kate Spade and they just
signed Lacoste, which will begin in 2024.
“We are seeing a shift among our
retailers for fragrances, and niche with
higher-end prices are in demand,” he noted.

Essence Corp. held a special promotional event
for L’Occitane en Provence with Penha Curaçao
earlier this year.

Summit of the Americas April 2023 56