It’s not unusual to come across imitations of luxury fragrances, but companies have taken it as far as Argentine direct sales company Reino. The firm has launched replicas that emulate the details of top fragrances at 80 per cent cheaper.
Imitations of luxury fragrances are no novelty. Many low-price lines emulate some of the most sophisticated perfumes, aiming at consumer that cannot afford the originals, but now direct sales company Reino, owned by the Argentine Daniel Groppa, has gone a step further. Pharmabiz has discovered that the firm has launched copies of famous perfumes that copy the presentation and packaging of top luxury brands down to the smallest detail.
With this strategy, the firm aims to offer consumers a “replica” of an original product at a fraction of the price but risks entering choppy waters when it comes to fair commercial practice.
According to Pharmabiz’s investigation, the French company LVMH and Spain’s Puig are the main targets. The man behind the strategy is Daniel Groppa, owner and founder of the Argentine company.
The company’s May catalogue lists presentations that copy the details of most of LVMH’s brands and of several brands belonging to Puig. See site.
The prices of Reino’s perfumes range from AR$ 400 (US$ 23) to AR$ 800 (US$ 46), up to 80 per cent less than what many of the select brands retail for in Argentina. See table
The company, which was founded in 1989, has almost exact reproductions of the packaging of Miss Dior; and J’adore, from LVMH, the original versions of which retail locally at AR$ 2,010 (US$ 116), and DKNY (AR $2,200/US$ 127) from Donna Karan. In the case of the latter, Reino not only replicated the container of the perfume, but also applied a small variation to the original Brand, naming it DNYG.
While pharmaceutical companies go to great lengths to ensure that generics manufacturers respect their patents, the perfume sector of the cosmetics industry doesn’t appear to be managing to enforce such control.
Reino has also copied the main brands from Puig, offering copies at a quarter of the price of the perfumes CH (AR$ 1,630/US$ 94) and 212 (AR$ 2,160/US$ 125) from Carolina Herrera. It copied Nina (AR$ 1,700/US$ 98) using the name Alessia but copying the apple-shaped bottle almost perfectly. Ricci Ricci (AR$ 690/US$ 40) has been re-christened Pour La Vie and its red bow incrusted with a representation that could easily be confused with the original.
The company has also copied Halloween ($1,750/US$ 101) from Jesús del Pozo, this time with the name Praga, but with the characteristic violet hue.
It is notable Llama that this list of fragrances, which has been officially published by Reino in various campaigns appears to have escaped any kind of legal attention, either from the perfume makers or from the authorities.
While pharmaceutical companies go to great lengths to ensure that generics manufacturers respect their patents, the perfume sector of the cosmetics industry doesn’t appear to be managing to enforce such control.
US$ 1 = AR $17.28
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