Beyond Air Wick

What kind of lamp only works once you've blown it out? It's not a riddle, though the answer doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Catalytic burner lamps (also called fragrance lamps, perfume lamps, fragrance diffusers, or effusion lamps) are a home fragrancing vehicle whose popularity has grown dramatically in recent years. The lamps employ precious metal — platinum, to be exact — on a hidden ceramic burner stone. Light one for two to four minutes, and when the flame is extinguished the platinum holds the heat, spreading scent through the home.

Short burn time is a strong selling point for customers with young children or busy lifestyles, and the quick diffusion process (just 30 minutes for a 3,000-square-foot house) works well with the trend toward larger homes. Yet while fragrance lamps are powerful, they needn't be overpowering — the fragrance can be diluted at will, allowing consumers to get as much or as little as they want of their favorite scent.

Although fragrance lamps seem to have burst on the U.S. scene in the last few years, they were first invented in about 1850 by Europeans Justus Von Liebig and Charles Gerhardt (who also invented aspirin!). According to Scentier, an Oklahoma-based catalytic lamp manufacturer, their invention produced “aldehydes,” “ozona,” and rising oxygen, disinfecting the air.

The lamps became a brand in 1898, when Frenchman Maurice Berger received a patent and created his company, Lampe Berger. Originally used in European hospitals, their goal was less to perfume the air than to purify it. As early as the 1930s, though, consumers began bringing the lamps into their homes.

“Lampe Berger perfume lamps became almost a fashion accessory at the time of Coco Chanel,” says Gerard Pichon-Verin, vice president, international, of the French Lampe Berger Group. “But it began even earlier than that, mostly in Europe, and in the '50s in the rest of the world.”

Lampe Berger, which was essentially the sole brand of catalytic burner lamps until just a few years ago, offered cut crystal fragrance lamps made by Baccarat, as well as art glass by Lalique, with prices reaching as high as $6,000. Lampe Berger entered the U.S. market some 20 years ago.

The American obsession with removing bad odors and producing pleasant ones made catalytic lamps a natural growth category in this country. But the recent decline of the dollar against the euro has made European imports more expensive. American companies “sensed” an opportunity, and began offering more affordable versions.

“We got into it about four years ago. It was new and different, and it caught on like lightning in a bottle,” says Tracie Newman, founder and director of product development for La-Tee-Da!, Scottsville, Texas, whose lamps retail for $32.50 to $96.95.

Meanwhile, Lampe Berger plans to maintain its higher-end approach. “We want to continue to grow this market. But it is our strategy to grow with quality and not only with quantity,” says Pichon-Verin. While the company has created an “added value” line of $30 lamps, it will continue to sell works of art in limited editions, and work with well-known designers.

The main customer for fragrance lamps is a “middle-income woman in her late 20s to early 60s,” according to Tracie Newman. This, of course, is the gift store core customer. While sales of fragrance lamps are best in the South, La-Tee-Da! reports that sales are growing in the Midwest as well.

David Schemenauer, president of Alexandria Lamps, Elkhart, Indiana, notes that ceramic styles are stronger in the northern markets, and points to increased sales of catalytic lamps for outdoor use as another trend to watch.

The customers who already buy candles are the same consumers who purchase fragrance lamps. But that doesn't mean lamps will cannibalize candle sales. “I don't think they're a replacement for candles by any means,” says Tracie Newman. “Because candles provide so much ambience and color, as well as a flicker of light.”

Many would-be buyers of catalytic burner lamps could be con- fused about how they work, so in-store demonstrations, knowledgeable salespeople, and informative signage become very important for the specialty retailer. Newman recommends displaying lamps “somewhere near the register, so salespeople can ask, 'Are you familiar with it?' ”

Fragrance lamp refills come in every scent you can think of, from complex blends of florals, fruits, and musks reminiscent of fine perfumes to simpler single notes of mint or verbena — though, as in all scented products, “sugary gourmet” scents are particularly strong. They range from $12 to $27 for about 18 ounces. Some companies include a free bottle of scent with each lamp, others keep their offerings a la carte to maximize a customer's freedom to choose. There are even fragrance-of-the-month clubs consumers can buy into for convenience and savings. One of the best aspects for the retailer is how often customers come back for fragrance refills. David Schemenauer reports an average of eight to 12 fragrance purchases per lamp sold — which means eight to 12 return visits to your store.