Episode 29: On Running a Perfume Subscription Service with Andrei Rebrov, CTO & Co-founder at Scentbird

On this week’s episode of Subscriptions: Scaled, we speak with Andrei Rebrov, CTO & Co-founder at Scentbird. 

We learn everything from Andrei’s experience working in the world of subscription services to how Scentbird is so successful, and so much more.

Scentbird

Scentbird is a subscription service that sends customers a trial-sized vial of fragrance from top brands starting from $15.95 per month. Members can choose from over 500 designer fragrances and colognes each month, including from Prada, Gucci, Nest, Tom Ford, and more.

Scentbird is proud to be all about the fun and magic of fragrance. Scentbird was designed for the pickiest of customers to allow them to ‘date’ perfumes before marrying them. It was developed out of frustration with the ‘perfume graveyard’ many of us have, referring to the expensive bottles of designer perfume that sit collecting dust on the dresser.

The brand was created as an alternative to spending money on expensive perfumes that’s both practical and exciting. 

Scentbird is New York-based, employing a remote-first work environment as they believe talent isn't defined by working locally.

Andrei’s Experience

The episode begins with Andrei talking about his background and explaining how he became a founder for Scentbird. 

Andrei originally graduated from aerospace university, and he’s always loved both mathematics and science. He worked for several companies, mainly big enterprises at first, including UBS Investment Bank.

He also worked as an agile engineering coach. This is where Andrei learned how to lead a team and organize the development process, preparing him well for many of the responsibilities he has today.

Starting Scentbird, however, partly happened by surprise. Andrei was curious about hackathons and how to organize them, so he attended one. Two months later, one of the organizers emailed him saying that they were seeking a CTO who can lead a team of engineers and that they would love to sell perfume and wine.  And that’s how Scentbird began.

The Evolution of Scentbird

During the episode, we also learn how Andrei’s role has changed over the years and what the evolution for Scentbird has been like.

Andrei and his team at Scentbird wanted to work out how to make it easier for people to buy wine and perfume. Instead of going to a retail store and receiving one squirt of perfume sprayed onto you, they thought, why not offer a sample size perfume to try at home, risk-free? 

The team tried their idea for almost a year without much luck. However, they didn’t want to abandon the space of fragrances as they’d already learned a lot on their journey. Soon, they discovered the concept of the perfume graveyard, referring to when there are expensive, unused perfumes that aren’t liked enough by the buyer to be used.

From this idea, the team created the subscription service in 2014. For 25 months, customers can receive a huge supply of their favorite perfumes. Since 2014, the brand has changed significantly. 

Eventually, Andrei started to hire, and he became a teammate rather than working alone. Then he soon became a team leader and became responsible for the overall process of delivery.

Gradually the company became bigger and bigger. While Andrei still codes as it’s his passion, he shifted more into other roles such as source allocation and management.

How Scentbird Works

We also learn a lot about Scentbird and how the subscription service works during the episode. Andrei answers how he communicates to customers about changing the way they consume perfumes. He claims that most people assume others only have one fragrance, when in fact, 50% of women have five scents at home. Many people are used to spending money on expensive perfumes that they haven’t sampled much, and they end up getting left on the shelf unused.

Andrei wanted to change this perception of fragrances in a fun and helpful way, and that’s how the concept of Scentbird came about. He explains the problem of receiving perfume samples in store as they only last you three or four sprays. And when you spray perfume on your skin in a shop, it isn’t a genuine trial as it only lasts one time.

To truly understand if you love a scent, Andrei believes you should wear perfume for around two weeks. That way, you can learn how it works with your skin and how people react to it. After all, the same perfume can smell very different on various people.

Designer perfumes can be costly, and purchasing a bottle to try it properly may not be an option for everyone. That’s where Scentbird fills the gap. 

Customers can experience a designer perfume that lasts a reasonable amount of time by purchasing a subscription box. That way, they can see if a fragrance really suits them without spending too much money.

Operations

Andrei also speaks about the delivery and operational aspects of Scentbird. This includes the technology of taking orders. 

To make the subscription service a high-quality experience for new subscribers, Scentbird makes sure to ship the product as quickly as possible. The first package contains not just the small glassware with the perfume inside, but also an aluminum atomizer to impress the customer.

How Covid-19 Affected Scentbird

The episode concludes with Andrei discussing how Covid-19 affected the business. As people stopped visiting retailers during Covid-19 the same way, it may be expected that Scentbird would also have needed to adjust their roadmap or shift the way they operate.

However, Andrei explains that they didn’t have to change much of their roadmap and, in fact, saw a rise in purchases and usage. Even during Covid-19, people wanted to keep a sense of normalcy in their day by using perfume. Scentbird learned that, for many people, using fragrance is a typical part of their day, and it was not something they wanted to give up, even in a pandemic.

Learn all about Andrei’s experience running a perfume subscription service, and so much more, by tuning into the episode.

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