Friday, October 1, 2010

Chanel Les Exclusifs: Size Small For Fit


Finally...It was a long-held rumour but it just became a fact. After the 'demand' of so many for some scaling down of the honkers (each scent in Les Exclusifs came in a 200ml -otherwise awesome- bottle), Chanel is now officially offering them in the travel-friendly size of 75ml/2.5oz which they affectionately call "petit flacons". The line-up doesn't include all the fragrances though: only Beige, Sycomore, Eau de Cologne and Coromandel benefit. Apparently they're the best-sellers.
Let's hope the less commercially viable ones follow.
STOP THE PRESS ADDITION: Indeed Chanel sales representatives have been informed that the smaller 75ml bottles will be available in ALL Les Exclusifs Eau de Toilette scents in February 2011.
How's that?

16 comments:

  1. I really hope that "petits flacons" of 31 Rue Cambon are soon to follow! I'm dying to own the fragrance, but I'm not ready to commit to a 200 ml bottle...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very welcome news indeed! This must be one of the most pragmatic and sensible decisions a perfume house has made in a long time.

    Mind you, strictly speaking, they should now change the name of the line to something like, 'Les Slightly Less Exclusifs Parce Que We Wish to Cash In'

    ReplyDelete
  3. LOL at Persolaise

    But yes, this is what we've all been waiting for. Now No. 22, please and thank you!

    How are they priced? The ginormous ones are actually very reasonable per ml - if the smaller ones follow suit, these ought to sell extremely well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The smaller Coromandel is already available on Chanel's USA website, priced at $110... so I guess my cheeky little quip wasn't far off the mark after all.

    I'm not complaining! I've never liked the idea of buying 200ml of ANY fragrance, no matter how much I love it. But it has to be said that this does feel like a slight dilution of the whole exclusivity vibe.

    ReplyDelete
  5. M,

    if enough people buy the big one...which seems counterintuitive, but it seems to have worked that way for the popular 4, hasn't it?

    I really hope they do!

    ReplyDelete
  6. P,

    ah...that will be the focus of another article ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. SS,

    it's 110$ for 75ml vs. 210$ for 200ml. (So the small one costs 1.46 per ml while the bigger one is the bargain price of 1.05$ per ml).
    It's in step with what the market does on the whole (bigger is usually more economical).

    ReplyDelete
  8. P,

    oh yes, the dilution of the exclusivity IMO starts with offering things online. Peoria can get them too, wearing flannie jammies all the while. But...the pocket has reasons the heart does not dream of... :-)
    Or something! (Let's be somewhat lenient)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous20:53

    Why do they do this? Make 'travel size' larger than the allowed 50 ml carry-on limit? I still have to decant to a smaller container to take it with me when I travel. Sigh. But glad to see there are options smaller than 200 ml.
    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  10. Tamara*J00:36

    Whaaat?! None of my favorites! Why isn't Cuir de Russie, 31 Rue Cambon or Bois de lles in that round-up? I think those are the best ones IMHO. *sigh*

    ReplyDelete
  11. Parfymerad13:01

    Thanks Helg for posting that website image - all I had til now was a basenotes-posted image. I was living in fear of having the rumour confirmed as false!

    Now I have to start saving for Sycomore. And lobbying for CdR and 31RC to join the small bottle selection!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Will my fave leather scent...
    Cuir de Russie -Chanel
    be added to the "petit flacons"
    I sincerely hope so... my bottle is almost out and .. can't readily afford 200.00USD for a new one...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kim,
    Tamara,
    Perfumeryrad and
    Sfonativeboy,

    you must be VERY pleased as of this minute: I have added to the piece the news that ALL the fragrances in Les Exclusifs will come in the smaller 75ml bottles in February 2011. Yes, that means also Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles, No.22, 28 La Pausa, 31 Rue Cambon, Bel Respiro etc.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank goodness they're offering the smaller size for all the perfumes - when I first read your post I was sputtering, "What? No 28La Pausa?"

    February is better than not at all, but I was crossing my fingers for December. I guess I'll just have to ask for something else for Christmas. Decisions, decisions...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Woohoo! Freakishly, my problem with the big size was not just the price - though the price was emphatically relevant - but simply _the big size_, so big that I would never use it up in three lifetimes. I have hoarder genes that I never want to give an inch to, so I have a major problem with owning too much of anything. If they didn't even reduce the price for the small bottle, I'd be more likely to buy it than the big bottle. (Yes, I am crazy.)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous11:50

    hi all. Last week went on a shopping spree in Paris. Got me a big ole bottle of 31 rue cambon and will not apologise for it. The knowledge of eventually being in an old folks home in my 80s and smelling like this is enough justification :-)
    Asked the sales rep at Chanel about the smaller sizes btw, and she looked as if i had just farted. Claimed she had no such knowledge because "they are exclusives"... Ah well. Might just check with them again in February (always nice to have a good excuse for a trip to Paris!) Warm and fragrant regards, Wendy

    ReplyDelete

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