Bath & Body Works on way to securing a place in luxury wellness universe

While a Bath & Body Works shower gel costs nearly $13 (Rs 900 approx) in the US, it is priced at Rs 1,400 at the Indian store

There’s a reason imports from the West do so well in India. Thanks to the high import duties, it is likely that a drugstore beauty brand from the US may well be granted the luxury tag in India. It happened when Sephora brought Nyx, a cosmetic brand that would best be described as the Lakmé of the US, to India. On May 29, when Major Brands launched the first Bath & Body Works store in New Delhi, it happened again. That it is located inside the plush Select Citywalk in Saket is, of course, another boost to its status.

Bath & Body Works is a popular American brand for bath soaps, gels, creams and salts under the L Brands umbrella, which also retails Victoria’s Secrets and La Senza. So far, it was one of those brands one would stock up on during a trip abroad. This is because not only are its fragrances appropriately potent, its travel-size cream tubes and shower gel combos make for great gifts. Bath & Body Works is patently popular for its frequent and rationality-defying sales, which often come with $2 deals and $10 gift hampers.

Unlike Ikea, which is trying to be more “Indian” with biryanis instead of meatballs for its India launch, Bath & Body Works’s only India-specific characteristic is its price. There’s no indigenous fragrance range like mogra or kesar — which is perhaps wise, given how organic, fully Indian brands like Forest Essentials and Kama Ayurveda are  dominating that space. The range of products is not as wide as what one would find at The Body Shop, but that is a global phenomenon with Bath & Body Works.

The full Bath & Body Works range is yet to come to India

What is truly spectacular is the vast fragrance palette available across its spectrum of products. There are thematic fragrances like “Ocean” and “In the Sun” as well as more obvious ones like teakwood and bourbon. Bourbon makes one pause and take a look because it looks like a sure-shot way of catching the nose of a traffic cop waiting with a breathalyser. But this is a bold and spicy men’s fragrance and thankfully smells nothing like the spirit it is named after.

The full Bath & Body Works range is yet to come to India, though, and the salesperson at the store believes the next month or so will put the Indian store at par with the US ones. Missing at the moment are the cutesy lip balms and other skin care products. The small, pocket-sized perfumes that come with a spray mechanism instead of the inconvenient roller are great for impulse buys. The other impulse-buy section is flooded with hand sanitisers and strange keyrings and cases for sanitiser bottles.

While a Bath & Body Works shower gel costs nearly $13 (Rs 900 approximately) in the US, it is priced at Rs 1,400 at the Indian store. Other products are similarly marked up. But it does have some sensible deals on gift hampers and bundled packs. It is predictably packed on a weekday, with men and women across ages filling their baskets to the brim with candles, bath fizzies, mists and aromatherapy oils. There is the requisite amount of standoffishness from the salespeople and the visitors of the store size each other up askance. Bath & Body Works has secured its place in the luxury bracket and it appears it will stay there for some time to come.