Harry Slatkin — even with decades of experience in the fragrance business — still sees room for growth.
The Slatkin & Co. founder, who has been referred to as the king of home fragrance given his ability to grow brands — both his own, and Bath and Body Works, which grew tenfold to billion-dollar brand status during his tenure — is eyeing new adjacencies with his latest brand.
Called Dwell212, the body care brand is set to debut at Walmart and CVS Health in January, which is a significant part of his move to bring Slatkin & Co. brands to more than 40,000 doors by the first quarter of 2025.
“I created it with my daughter in mind,” Slatkin said of Dwell212, which comprises body washes, hand soaps and fragrance mists that range in price from $8 to $13.
“The body wash, for example, is vegan, cruelty-free, aluminum-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free and SLS-free. I created it with the younger consumer who wants to use a product daily, and there is a mental health element because scent is our most powerful sense. It changes the mood, and feeds into the synapses in our body. We can change our moods [with it].”
Though he’s taken to new categories and points of distribution, Slatkin’s secret sauce remains the same. He describes it as “make something that’s maybe not as expensive, make that customer feel that they’re buying part of that lifestyle, part of that brand, and still offer a quality product.”
That strategy is resonating. Slatkin didn’t comment on sales, although industry sources anticipate Slatkin & Co. will reach $140 million in sales this year, and $200 million next year.
Candles, reed diffusers and plug-ins comprise the current Slatkin & Co. universe, with a recent foray into auto scenting as well. “I don’t want to get in a car with a tree hanging on the mirror that smells like a taxi,” he said. “I want to scent your world. I work with master perfumers, it’s all essential to create the storytelling I do around home fragrances.”
To that end, his past and present businesses have spanned everything from luxury price points in department stores to the mass market, including Dollar General, which stocks Slatkin’s Club92 range. “Behind all the Doritos is this massive area of home fragrance and personal care,” Slatkin said. That’s only become more relevant to the market landscape, he posited.
“The consumer with the most knowledge is Gen Z and the Millennial consumer, because they grew up with social media,” he said. “They will only put on their body what they really believe in. They want it to be at a certain [quality] level as if they were paying into a higher one.”
Slatkin values scent first and foremost, but that’s not to say ingredients aren’t just as considered. “The reason our product really stands out is the scent, and I’m just as thrilled that the ingredients don’t dry your skin out. They luxuriate your body,” he said. “I’m really about the scent, and that then leads to the mental health aspect of how we make you feel better every day.”
