Why is a footwear brand launching a deodorant?
Woodland, known for shoes fit for the outdoors, tries to capture scents of nature in a bottle
“Leading footwear and performance apparel brand Woodland has forayed into the personal care segment by introducing a range of deodorants,” reported a PTI story on Friday. It is part of their spring-summer 2021 collection with deodorants for both men and women.
Brands dipping into varied product segments has been a pandemic highlight as businesses strive to survive. Lifestyle labels have smartly oriented new products to meet pandemic-induced demand. Last year, Glossier came out with a stylishly packaged hand cream as frequent hand-washing became the norm, sneaker brand AllBirds introduced its first running shoe when people took to jogging to stay fit, and closer home FMCG giants like Parle and Dabur ventured into hand sanitisers. It comes as no surprise that a shoe brand has made an announcement about launching deodorants.
"We are happy to add deodorants to our product portfolio that is not only a perfect accompaniment for outdoors, but are also nominally priced. These unique fragrances capture a whiff of nature in a bottle and embody the sense of adventure that Woodland, as a brand, believes in," Harkirat Singh, managing director, Aero Club, said in the PTI story. Aero Club is the parent company of Woodland and Woods brands.
The focus of the Canada-based brand has been about creating high-performance footwear for expeditions like hiking, camping and trekking. The deodorant, therefore, is not off the mark. Sportswear behemoths such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok have a wide range of fragrances for active lifestyles.
The PTI story points out, “The Indian deodorant market is dominated by brands like Fogg (Vini Cosmetics), Nivea, Engage (ITC), Park Avenue (Raymond) and Axe (Unilever). Several apparel brands such as Peter England and FMCG companies like Marico with Set Wet and Wipro through Santoor brands have also entered this segment.”
Last year, sales of personal care products, like fragrances, nose dived with worldwide lockdowns forcing people to stay indoors. But, the leading fashion forecasting website, WGSN predicted feel-good transportive scents will lead the way. The story, titled Future of Fragrances published in July, pointed out perfumes that enhance one’s mood, evoke nostalgia or induce the feeling of being on a vacation, just as Woodland is attempting to do with its nature-inspired scents, will offer pockets of comfort in a pandemic.
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First Published:4 Apr 2021, 02:32 PM IST
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