Marks & Spencer celebrates Ramadhan

Marks & Spencer's Ramadhan pages online are filled with fashion, dining and beauty items.

The exclusive Ramadhan collection for women is imbued with festive silver and gold, while iftar outfits for him are classic and subdued. Kids' formals are presented in the Ramadhan kids section.

The Ramadhan home collection comprises crockery in white as well as bath and bedlinen in pastels, neutrals and the occasional bright print.

Fragrance highlights include the Opulence OUD Eau de parfum. Other scents recommended for Ramadhan include the Butterfly Garden series and the heliotrope-gingembre (ginger), jasmin-perle de the (jasmine tea) and tilleul-cidrat (lime-citron) perfumes.

Source: Al-Futtaim Group. Marks & Spencer has sweets galore for Ramadhan.

Marks & Spencer also has a range of gifts and hampers for Ramadhan. Look out for baskets filled with Belgian chocolate biscuits and truffles, salted caramelised nuts, Swiss chocolate discs and nut and fruit mendiants*.

*Mendiants are chocolate discs with fruits and nuts on top.

*Products are available in the Middle East. Availability in other countries is not guaranteed. Facebook pages for Marks & Spencer default to the visitor's country of origin. 

Robinsons launches Francis Kurkdjian's OUD satin mood Extrait de parfum

Source: Robinsons. 

Robinsons, your store of inspiration, is now offering master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian's latest fragrance, which is for both men and women.

OUD satin mood Extrait de parfum features an abundance of roses from Turkey and Bulgaria to round out oud wood’s dark, animalistic tones, ending with the softness of violets. While OUD satin mood Eau de parfum is reminiscent of the movements of satin, the Extrait de parfum variation accentuates the Oriental nature of satin.

The perfume's olfactory description:

Violet accord
Geranium
Cinnamon from Ceylon
Damascena rose essence from Bulgaria
Centifolia rose absolute from Tunisia
Natural oud from Laos
Amber and vanilla accord

Other members of the OUD family include OUD, OUD cashmere mood, OUD silk mood and OUD velvet mood.

Spreading across three levels, over 200,000 sq ft and with 600 brands, Robinsons in Dubai Festival City is the largest department store in the region. Ninety fashion, beauty and home brands are available only at Robinsons, on top of the large variety of carefully selected international and local labels and beauty brands, like Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

Interested?

OUD Satin Mood is available at Robinsons as:

- OUD Satin Mood, Extrait de parfum, natural spray, 70 ml.

- OUD Satin Mood, Eau de parfum, natural spray, 70 ml; 200 ml; and refills of three x 11 ml.

APAC, Middle East consumers are demanding natural ingredients in fragrances

According to Euromonitor, natural fragrances have been particularly successful over 2016.

Maria Coronado, Ingredients Associate Analyst at Euromonitor comments, “Multicultural consumers seek natural ingredients and fragrances are not an exception. Natural fragrances are gaining popularity and its use in the beauty and personal care industry is increasing globally, especially in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.” 

Euromonitor International has found that between 2015 and 2020, essential oils are expected to growth in beauty and personal care products at 5% CAGR in Asia-Pacific and 6% in the Middle East.

Consumer trend towards greener and healthier lifestyles is influencing the ingredients market. Big players such as Firmenich, Givaudan and Symrise are finding inspiration in nature and expanding their natural ingredients portfolio. Demand for these ingredients is expected to continue driven by demand from multicultural consumers, the global trend towards greener lifestyles, as well as the trend toward simpler formulations with fewer chemicals (freefrom claims and clean labelling) and towards multifunctional ingredients that can provide additional benefits besides aroma such as being antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, anti-pollutants, anti-stress, conditioning or emollients.

Coronado explains, “Although the demand for natural fragrances is increasing, the volumes of essential oils used in beauty and personal care are still far lower than volumes of synthetic fragrances. Naturals are no doubt on the rise, however, a key factor that can limit the growth of essential oils in certain applications is price volatility due to the high manufacturing cost of natural fragrances compared to synthetic ingredients and the insecure supply of ingredients derived from plants which is affected by uncontrollable and unpredictable factors such as weather and climate. 

"Production of these ingredients is also concentrated in some specific areas in Asia, Africa or Latin America with high biodiversity and this usually implies long-distance travel from these areas to the manufacturing point which has implications in prices and sustainability (transport emissions). In addition, properties such as product shelf life, aroma stability, and some of the organoleptic* properties of natural ingredients such as colour, aroma intensity or transparency might also limit its potential use.”

*Influencing the organs of sight, sound, smell etc.

Dior pop-up returns to Hamad International Airport with enticing new experiences

• Passengers at Hamad International Airport, Doha can explore Dior’s gardens in the French Riviera
• Qatar Duty Free and Dior to gift scented roses to travellers in celebration of Dior’s new La Colle Noire scent 

The Dior Les Parfums installation is inspired by the Provence rose.

The beauty of the south of France has been recreated in Doha by Qatar Duty Free and Dior with the unveiling of a wall of pink roses at Hamad International Airport (HIA). The 180 sq m Dior Les Parfums installation, inspired by the rose de mai (Provence rose) – the signature bouquet of Dior’s new fragrance La Colle Noire – will greet visitors with a full sensory experience from July until September 2016.

Visitors to Qatar Duty Free can enjoy a perfumed flower garden modelled after Dior’s flower garden in the Château de La Colle Noire, France, while listening to live violin music. Visits to the Dior garden will be completed with a scented rose gift that embodies the beauty and delicacy of the new fragrance.

Qatar Duty Free is also gifting free perfume personalisation to all customers who purchase one of Dior’s exclusive La Collection Privée range from the stand, with the opportunity to have the perfume bottle engraved with a name or message.

Senior Vice President Qatar Duty Free Luis Gasset said: “Shopping at Qatar Duty Free is truly an extraordinary experience for our customers. Our range of luxury brands and exclusive offers are complemented by excellent customer service and incredible experiences that make a visit to Qatar Duty Free in HIA an unforgettable part of the journey.

“This exclusive Dior promotion, the latest brand collaboration for Qatar Duty Free, is part of our ongoing strategy to customise and tailor our offers for our customers who have the opportunity to choose from one of the biggest collections of beauty brands, fragrances and cosmetics, in any airport in the world.”

Commercial Director Travel Retail at Dior, Frank Dagher Hayeck said: “After the great success of the first edition held in 2015 at HIA, we are glad to present our brand new Dior Les Parfums Pop Up 2016 in collaboration with Qatar Duty Free. This year, we will go even further with this partnership, proposing to all the travellers passing through HIA from July to September a unique customer experience while exploring our exclusive podium and all of its numerous treasures: its hundreds of Grasse roses rising up to five metres high, La Colle Noire, (the) famous Christian Dior house, a true quete d’essence with Francois Demachy (Editor's note: Perfumer-Creator, Dior) and many more while getting unique Dior personalised gifts for themselves or their loved ones.”

Qatar Duty Free operates the retail experience at Hamad International Airport (HIA) in addition to an outlet at Doha Port. It is the second-largest duty free operator in the Middle East. At HIA Qatar Duty Free offers 40,000 sq m of combined retail, food and beverage facilities, establishing the retailer as a premier shopping and dining destination.

Qatar Duty Free and Dolce&Gabbana present new display featuring an exclusive fragrance for the Middle East

Source: Qatar Duty Free. A new Dolce&Gabbana display features a 4m snow globe at Hamad International Airport that will be on display until 14 January 2016.

Qatar Duty Free welcomes the festive season with the installation of a Dolce&Gabbana display featuring a larger-than-life snow globe at Hamad International Airport (HIA). The snow globe, at four m high, is the centrepiece of a display showcasing Dolce&Gabbana’s products, and celebrates the launch of their newest fragrance for men, The One Royal Night. It will be on display until 14 January 2016.

The joint collaboration between Dolce&Gabbana and Qatar Duty Free offers plenty of options for passengers looking to buy a gift. Qatar Duty Free Senior Vice President Keith Hunter said: “Qatar Duty Free prides itself on offering passengers exclusive fragrances and beauty products, and this is no exception. This partnership not only marks the launch of The One Royal Night at HIA, but is an opportunity for Qatar Duty Free to offer customers the Dolce&Gabbana makeup and Velvet collections. We hope that those travelling from, and through, HIA will enjoy visiting the beautiful display and exploring some thoughtful and personalised gift ideas.”

Source: Qatar Duty Free. The One Royal Night for men is featured together with Velvet niche fragrance collection and D&G makeup.

The One Royal Night for men is an exclusive fragrance within Dolce&Gabbana’s Classic House, The One. The newest fragrance, with an Arabian twist, is an exclusive product from the designers for the Middle East, inspired by the richness, culture and traditions of the region.

The One Royal Night for men is described by Dolce&Gabbana as a blend of opulence and sophistication boasting a woody composition with notes of cardamom, basil, wild pear wood, and spicy nutmeg, followed by a base of cedar, sandalwood, labdanum* and pure amber in its most refined form. Qatar Duty Free will also offer a select number items from the Dolce&Gabbana makeup and niche fragrance collection, Velvet, for the first time at the display.

The Velvet Collection offered will include both 50ml and 150ml bottles of some of Dolce&Gabbana’s most popular niche fragrances such as Velvet Love, Velvet Patchouli, Desert Oud and Tender Oud.

Interested?

For all Dolce&Gabbana products purchased at the display personalised engraving and gift-wrapping will be offered free of charge. 

*Labdanum, also called laudanum, is a resin from shrubs called Cistus ladanifer and Cistus creticus.

Holiday by House of Sillage celebrates with mandarin, peach and vetiver

Source: House of Sillage.

House of Sillage, a specialist in haute parfumerie, celebrates the season with Holiday by House of Sillage, which features the festive scents of mandarin, peach and vetiver.

The snow globe cap showcases sparkling scenery plated in 18 karat gold and white gold, showing freshly fallen snow descending. The floral and citrus fragrance comes in a glass bottle that is hand-polished, ombre-lacquered and adorned with 63 hand-placed, custom-coloured Swarovski crystals.

House of Sillage pays homage to the artistry, traditions and unmatched expertise of the classic parfumerie, while transcending modern conventions. The company creates fragrances which are rivalled only by their bottles. “We have created a line of luxurious and sophisticated fragrances, gathering wisdom from people who have devoted their lives to this particular kind of beauty,” explains founder Nicole Mather.

House of Sillage parfums are available in the GCC and in Indonesia.

Fragrance Du Bois works with Asia Plantation Capital to cement supply for sustainable oud

Fragrance Du Bois has cut out the middlemen in part of its supply chain by acquiring its own source of the perfume ingredient, oud. Oud (also known as agarwood) comes from the Aquilaria tree, and is in high demand from high-end brands in the fragrance industry. Natural oud provides fragrance with depth and longevity.

With demand increasing and finite supplies dwindling, Fragrance Du Bois decided to work with sustainable plantation company Asia Plantation Capital. Initially, Fragrance Du Bois will be investing more than US$5 million over the next 12 months in plantations that will be managed by Asia Plantation Capital, financed by private equity and perfume industry partners who have recently joined the company.

Fragrance Du Bois' oud (agarwood) and perfume oil plantations will be managed by Asia Plantation Capital, which is expanding beyond Aquilaria trees to patchouli, vetiver, tonka beans, bamboo, rose, pine, cypress and lemongrass, with many others in the pipeline.

Besides establishing its own plantations for oud in Malaysia and acquiring mature agarwood tree plantations from Asia Plantation Capital in Thailand, Fragrance Du Bois is looking at future acquisitions in India and Indonesia to provide a comprehensive range of high quality regional products. This will allow its core Fragrance Du Bois range of perfumed candles, perfumed wood chips and oils to be home-grown and sustainably produced.

In addition, Fragrance Du Bois' perfume creation business Oud Du Bois is in place to create fragrances for other international brands and perfume houses, using the pure oud oil it will be sourcing itself, along with other 100% sustainable and natural oils.

Nicola Parker, Brand Director of Fragrance Du Bois, said, "This is something we have been planning for a long time, and is designed to build on the unique success of our Soil to Oil to You story that has captured the imaginations of so many people. We can now expand to include other natural oils we use in our perfume creations. I can remember the whole buzz Anita Roddick created in the industry when she developed the Body Shop brand and range using natural and sustainable ingredients. By working with the experts at Asia Plantation Capital, we have been able to take this concept a stage further, so that we actually grow our own ingredients and, in due course, even refine them ourselves."

Parker concluded, "In today's consumer markets we find that our clients are not only conscience of where their products come from, but also their quality and purity. We believe that we are now the only luxury perfume brand that can actually do this, and we stand behind our Soil to Oil to You mantra as the key to everything we do and all the fragrances we create for our growing chain of boutiques."

Said Gary Crates, European CEO for Asia Plantation Capital: "Indeed, we are founding partners in the business and have invested heavily in the early seed capital and development of the brand. That said, it's very rewarding to see the brand now expanding and owning its own plantations under our management. Interestingly enough, this is a trend we are now seeing with other major perfume houses and brands. We are currently in the final stages of establishing similar sustainable and verifiable oud and mixed species supply chains with several of them. We believe that this is a growing trend in the global retail business, where major brands have to get more involved in their supply chains, especially where natural substances are concerned.

"In the case of agarwood, which is endangered, a greater involvement becomes an ethical imperative. The companies we are working with now have all identified this trend, and have also realised that it makes good commercial sense to not only safeguard their own supply chain, but also to be able to secure products at a discount to open market prices. Add this to the attendant sustainability and ethical approach, and you have the triple bottom line that we are all looking for in today's business world."

All the oud used by Fragrance Du Bois is CITES certified and guaranteed as to source, being both legal and sustainable, with respect shown for the environment, as well as the communities that live in and around the plantations on which the Aquilaria trees are grown.

Fragrance Du Bois is known for an expanding range of original, oud-based perfumes and associated products. Fragrance Du Bois is adding to its boutiques in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, with new outlets opening in Dubai, London, Paris, Luxembourg and Geneva between now and the early part of 2016.

Interested?

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about Fragrance du Bois' popup store

Aaliyah by Xyrena is the first and only official Aaliyah fragrance

Xyrena has released Aaliyah by Xyrena, the first and only official Aaliyah fragrance.

Source: Xyrena.

By consulting with the singer and actress' mother and brother, Diane and Rashad Haughton, Xyrena was able craft a true aromatic tribute inspired by actual fragrances Aaliyah wore 14 years after her tragic passing.

The resulting fragrance is unisex but leans masculine, as Aaliyah favoured traditional men's scents in line with her signature image. The formula is also a hue of black, which was Aaliyah's favorite colour. Aaliyah by Xyrena has base notes of vanilla, sandalwood, amber, and jasmine; middle notes of black pepper, violet and leather; with top notes of mint, lavender and mandarin.

"It has been wonderful working with Xyrena to create an incredible fragrance that embodies the beauty, mystery, and creativity that my sister infused into every aspect of her life," said Rashad Haughton.

Interested?

Aaliyah by Xyrena is a luxury extrait de parfum and is available for pre-order (at Xyrena.com/Aaliyah) for US$64 (international orders accepted). Shipments will begin in mid-October. Xyrena will donate 5% of the gross sales from the fragrance to The Aaliyah Memorial Fund.

View the official commercial spot

Fragrance Du Bois popup debuts niche fragrances at Singapore's Tangs

Source: Fragrance Du Bois.

Fragrance Du Bois has set up a popup at TANGS' flagship store in Singapore's Orchard Road shopping district, up till 4 September 2015. Making its second appearance of the year, the popup offers a firsthand experience of niche perfumery, and showcases Fragrance Du Bois' 100% pure, natural oud-based fragrances.

"We have observed a growing appetite for niche perfumery, and it's gratifying to note that at Fragrance Du Bois, we are perfectly placed to cater to a market that is increasing in sophistication. Returning to TANGS - one of the most recognised home-bred department stores in Singapore - gives us another great opportunity to increase brand recognition and to educate our customers on our philosophy, and, in particular, what sets us apart from the mainstream fragrance brands," said Nicola Parker, Brand Director of Fragrance Du Bois. 

Fragrance Du Bois, known as Parfums Du Bois in France and as Fragrance Du Bois in non-French speaking markets, works with French perfumers to create a full range of products, and also provides bespoke fragrance services. It has fragrance lounges in Dubai, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The company is acknowledged as the only fragrance brand in the world that guarantees the use of sustainably sourced, pure oud oil, obtained from its own plantations, all of which are managed by Asia Plantation Capital.

Asia Plantation Capital processes agarwood products in a sustainable manner. The company is committed to ensuring that the sternest ethical and legal standards are applied and adhered to at every stage of the production process - from the planting, growing, and harvesting of agarwood, all the way through to producing fine and exquisite oud oil.

This time around, the popup will feature some of the world's finest, niche, luxury fragrances in the shape of brands that share Fragrance Du Bois' standards and core values, namely Xerjoff, Parfums de Marly, Illuminum, House of Sillage, Isabey and Jovoy. These eminent brands are making their debuts in Southeast Asia, and are being sold exclusively at Fragrance Du Bois. 

Adidas Originals launches fragrance duo celebrating originality

Source: adidas Originals.

Adidas Originals, the streetwear brand, is launching a new fragrance duo for men and women. Born Original offers two dynamic scents, one for men and one for women inspired by the courage to be the wearer's original self.

Born Original captures the energetic, empowering spirit of adidas Originals that’s rooted in individualism, authenticity and imagination. The Born Original fragrances For Him and For Her are an explosive mix of contrasting notes.

Born Original for Her begins with a bright cocktail of bergamot, apricot and orange zest. The top notes burst into a vibrant, candy apple accord. Tantalising tones of coconut, jasmine and tonka beans add an unexpected twist in the finish.

Born Original For Him is a classic oriental remixed with an ambery citrus accord. A fusion of violet leaves and rhubarb adds a green facet, juxtaposed with black pepper and orange oil.

The originality of the fragrance duo is echoed by bottle designs that blend fluid, organic shapes with rough, industrial elements. Both bottles are made from glass at an intense stage of fusion, creating tactile ripples that give the flacons a dynamic, incomplete look. In contrast, the bottles are sealed with angular industrial-inspired nut collars and pin in rose gold for Her and steel grey for Him. Each is decorated with a strikingly large TREFOIL logo in glossy metallic colors that match the bottles.

Hashtag: #adidasOriginals

Fragrance Du Bois adds more niche luxury fragrances

Source: Fragrance Du Bois
website.

The world’s leading niche luxury fragrances are now available at Fragrance Du Bois boutiques in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and very soon, in Bangkok. With brands such as House of Sillage, Parfums de Marly, Illuminum, Sue Wong, Isabey, and Xerjoff joining the exclusive range of Fragrance Du Bois fragrances, customers can now experience the latest wave of groundbreaking luxury perfumes under one roof.

“House of Sillage is all about luxurious and sophisticated fragrances, presented in amazing and unique crystal bottles,” said Arielle Chrisman - Brand Ambassador, House of Sillage. “We gathered wisdom from people who have devoted their lives to this particular kind of beauty, collecting rare components from exotic locales, to create a synthesis of artistry and craft, tradition and innovation. Scents can transport you to another place, another time, and this is why we have chosen to partner with Fragrance Du Bois as their fabulous fragrances and boutiques embody everything we stand for as a brand.”

Despite their ‘niche’ status, many of these brands have already achieved significant success globally, reflecting today’s increasingly sophisticated consumers who recognise innovation and quality, and are always on the lookout for originality. While House of Sillage has risen to become the bestselling luxury fragrance brand in Russia and the Middle East, Xerjoff’s Oud perfumes have become the most popular fragrances at Harrods in the UK - arguably the world’s most famous department store. Illuminum is one of the top selling fragrance brands at Bloomingdale’s and Fortnum and Mason, and was the perfume of choice for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, when she married Prince William in April 2011.

“We are very pleased to showcase our finest and exclusive perfumes alongside those of Fragrance Du Bois,” said Sergio Momo - Xerjoff’s Founder and Creative Director. “I believe Fragrance Du Bois shares important principles and values with Xerjoff in the universe of artistic perfumery. It is extremely important for Xerjoff to be represented by dedicated partners who can introduce and support the philosophy of our brand.”

Fresh from a hugely successful month-long ‘pop-up’ store exercise at Tang’s flagship department store in Singapore, Fragrance Du Bois is not only making waves regionally, but is also stimulating worldwide interest. The addition of other premium luxury brands augments Du Bois’ expansion strategy and fulfils its mission of bringing only the very best to its customers and clients.

“Since opening our first flagship boutiques in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in July and October last year, we have seen good growth in our business. Customers are learning about, and beginning to appreciate, the uniqueness and value of luxury niche fragrances. We view the expansion to include exciting niche fragrance brands of the highest quality as part of Fragrance Du Bois’ evolution,” said Nicola Parker - Brand Director of Fragrance Du Bois.

“We already have a loyal following for our oud based fragrances that we sell exclusively in our boutiques and lounges,” she continued, “and we can now complement these with a wider range of superbly crafted products, all with their own identities and individual qualities."

Parker noted that all of the oud oil used for the company's fragrances is supplied by Asia Plantation Capital from its sustainable plantations in the region. "We know that the oud oil they provide is 100% natural and pure, and that gives us unique advantage in the market. Customers are becoming ever more discerning, and are right to want only natural ingredients of the very highest quality. Fragrance Du Bois and all our partners are perfectly placed to provide this quality and innovation, and we’re delighted to announce that the launch of our latest fragrance, London Oud, is only a few weeks away. It’s tested very well in a limited run, with both men and women, so we’re excited to welcome a new addition to our family of fragrances very soon.”

In February, Asia Plantation Capital announced the attainment of shari'ah compliance approval for its products by the IBFIM, formerly known as the Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia, the advisory body for shari'ah compliance on all matters pertaining to Islamic banking in Malaysia. IBFIM's approval thus clears the way for Asia Plantation Capital's products to be marketed and sold in Malaysia and the global markets as Islamic products that meets all requirements as set out under the laws of Islam.

"As part of Asia Plantation Capital's mission to respect local culture and integrate into the markets we are operating in, gaining this approval for shari'ah compliance of our products has been very important for us," said Steve Watts, CEO, Asia Plantation Capital at the time. "This gives our customers here in Malaysia and from around the Islamic world, confidence that they are not only investing in a sound product, but the assurance that it is socially responsible and fully in accordance with their beliefs."

Ralph Fresh mixes magnolia with sparkling lemon

Source: L'Oreal.

Ralph Lauren Fragrances has introduced RALPH FRESH, a mix of magnolia and sparkling lemon. Matching the sunny disposition of the RALPH FRESH woman, this scent captures a zest for life with a bright and feminine air, and is a cool, fun and flirty addition to a perfume collection, the company said.

The floral citrus scent was inspired by a sparkling sorbet:

Top notes*: Watermelon accord**, lemon sorbet accord, mandarin oil
Mid notes: Magnolia accord, chilled freesia accord, rose absolute***
Base notes: Dry woods, musks, white orris accord

The RALPH FRESH frosted bottle features a crisp, white opaque label with a fun pop of pink. The design is topped with the signature RALPH blue transparent cap.

*The top notes are the fragrances that are immediately obvious after the perfume is applied. Mid notes appear anywhere from a minute to an hour later, while base notes show up at least 30 minutes after the perfume has been applied, and may still be discerned as long as 24 hours later.

**An accord harmonises individual fragrances into a new, balanced scent

***An absolute is an essence

Takasago International Singapore expands on manufacturing of halal flavours and fragrances

Takasago International Singapore, the regional subsidiary of Takasago International, aims to entrench its position as one of the largest creators and producers of unique flavours and scents in Asia ahead of the ASEAN Common Market in 2015 with a new S$60 million flavours and fragrances plant in Singapore. The latest investment comes over the S$40 million that the company had already invested since starting operations in Singapore in 1975.

Source: EDB. EDB’s Assistant Managing Director Thien Kwee Eng (2nd from left) officiating the opening ceremony at Takasago’s new facility with Alfredo Asuncion, MD of Takasago Singapore (left), Ritaro Igaki, President and CEO, Takasago International Corporation (2nd from right) and Nang Peck Yan, Assistant Director, JTC (right).

Takasago International Corporation’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Ritaro Igaki, who was present at the opening ceremony, said: “Our Asian roots are our strategic and competitive advantage. Being the only global flavours and fragrances company with extensive operations in Asia enables us to implement a key strategy of offering the world something traditional and environmentally friendly."

Commenting on Takasago’s expansion in Singapore, Economic Development Board (EDB) Assistant Managing Director Thien Kwee Eng, said: “As we celebrate this long standing partnership with Takasago, we are delighted that the company has chosen Singapore to deepen their manufacturing, commercial and innovation functions to better serve the needs of the growing consumer businesses industry. Moving ahead, the EDB would continue to provide an enabling environment for companies like Takasago by helping innovation partners to deepen their capabilities in consumer insights, research and development.” 
 
The company is the only Asia-headquartered global player delivering on Asian-inspired products, and its Singapore facility is the largest supplier of flavours in the republic to the halal market, with more than 90% of its output being certified by either Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) or Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).


Takasago International Singapore intends to expand its flavour offerings to the Muslim market, with about 90% of its flavour operations in the new facility being dedicated to halal production. With production procedures to clearly segregate halal and non-halal, the company was one of the first to produce halal-certified flavours in 2004. Today, it supplies to some of the top regional food and beverage makers serving this market segment.

The fully operational 22,000 sq m facility houses flavours and fragrances creation capabilities, food applications, sensory, R&D and manufacturing. This new facility marks a key milestone for the company as it becomes one of the biggest commercially operating Asian plants in the flavours and fragrances industry outside of Japan. 
 
With Takasago International Singapore now fully operational, the company has the capacity to deliver up to 30,000 tons of flavours and fragrances a year. This is more than a three-fold increase as a result in opening this new facility.  

To deliver on future growth, the new facility will:
 
Execute its new responsibility as an Advanced R&D Regional Centre, exploring the use of specialised techniques to create future technologies for both flavour and fragrance products,
 
House the expanded Consumer Insights & Market Research Unit, which uses proprietary consumer research techniques to understand behaviour and mindsets of Asian consumers. Takasago has just completed extensive studies across 18 countries, using the findings for flavour creation and application. Separate research for fragrances conducted in 10 cities across six countries will form the basis introducing innovative fragrance opportunities in key Asian markets.
 
Implement the Group’s Sensory Evaluation & Analytical Technology, which will facilitiate in fine-tuning their products to meet consumer needs;

Adopt patented flavour and fragrance technologies from its headquarters into new offerings specially customised for the Asian markets, and
 
Strengthen its support for its Chennai-based facility targeted for the Indian sub-continent market, where Takasago International Singapore is embarking on an aggressive expansion plan. In addition, the Singapore facility continues to oversee Asia-Pacific markets like Australia and New Zealand.
 
In addition, Takasago International Singapore will become the only global flavours and fragrances player to implement an Automated Storage & Retrieval System in this region. The computer system has the ‘intelligence” to maximise the use of the warehouse space, administer the storage facility logically and undertake real-time tracking of all product arrivals and departures. As a result of this implementation, Takasago is able to control inventory levels and respond to market demands more efficiently.

“The commencement of the Singapore operation gives Takasago a big leap in the Asian marketplace. Given the sophisticated nature of Asian consumer tastes, Takasago International Singapore will have increased capabilities and competencies to respond to this marketplace,” Igaki said.
 
Takasago International Singapore Managing Director, Alfredo Asuncion Jr., said: “Takasago has been single-minded in combining the art and science of flavour and fragrance development for the direct benefit of our ASEAN and South Asia customers. By virtue of our Asian heritage, Takasago stands out in being able to develop and deliver unique offerings for the ASEAN and South Asia marketplace and will enable us to aggressively pursue and significantly contribute to our Corporate strategy of becoming No.1 in Asia this region.”

JTC Corporation Assistant CEO Eunice Koh added: “We congratulate Takasago on the opening of its new plant at Sunview Road. We have been working with Takasago to improve land productivity through more optimal use of its industrial land. We are glad that it was able to embark on workflow and process redesign, as well as adopt new technologies, which has led to higher productivity and cost savings.”
 
The global flavours and fragrances market is presently dominated by a few players, with Takasago being the only Asia-based player in the top league. According to global research expert IAL Consultants, the Asia-Pacific consumption of flavours and fragrances will grow at 6.8% annually to become the largest geographical market that is valued at US$6.65 billion by 2017.
 
In its flavours business, Takasago International Singapore plans to infuse capabilities from its coffee extraction expertise in Malaysia and mint flavour development technology in India into other innovative research at the Singapore hub. There will also be synergies from its strategic joint venture with Madagascar’s Ramanandraibe Export Co, the largest vanilla producer in Madagascar.
 
In the fragrances business, Takasago International Singapore has collaborated in providing sensory inputs into global perfume brands like Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and Shiseido. The Singapore facility intends to escalate such development work. On the cards are plans to train the next generation of perfumers who will be able to deliver on the creative and technical knowledge to meet the Asian market needs.