There’s something special about friendships that last for decades. Sometimes you think you know everything about one another, and then you discover one more thing you have in common.
After more than 45 years of friendship, we discovered that one of our longtime friends shares our love of camping.
Now, I use the word camping rather loosely. We have an actual bed, bathroom with a shower, kitchen, and living room in our camper. But it isn’t our house, and it’s parked beside a lake, so I’m calling it camping.
Our friend is a little more traditional. She packs a tent—along with an impressive collection of comforts, including a two-foot-high air mattress, rugs, coffee pot, waffle iron, and just about anything else that makes life outdoors feel a little more like home.
And really, isn’t that what makes camping enjoyable? Bringing a few comforts of home along for the adventure.
Bringing Fragrance Along
Before leaving for Pomme de Terre Lake, I made sure our camper had a Belle Aroma® Plugables® Moroccan Lantern Premium Fragrance Diffuser.
After a camper has been closed up for a couple of months, a little freshening is definitely in order. I chose the Moroccan Lantern because its blue and silver filigree design coordinates beautifully with the colors in our camper. At approximately 4.5" x 2.25" x 3.5", it also adds fragrance and style without taking over an already-small space.
I especially like that the heat-activated diffuser provides consistent fragrance while allowing me to change scents with the seasons.
With fall approaching and our camper tucked beneath the trees near the water, Pine Grove Plugables® Fragrance Oil seemed like the perfect choice. Its crisp aroma of fresh pine needles and clean woodland notes complemented the setting beautifully.
Then we woke up to temperatures in the low 50s.
Pine Grove was perfect for our lakeside setting, but that crisp morning air had me thinking about another fall favorite—Pumpkin Spice.
With nine fragrances available, customers can change their fragrance with the seasons, their décor, or simply their mood. And that creates an opportunity for retailers that goes well beyond selling one diffuser.
Turn One Diffuser into Repeat Sales
The Moroccan Lantern gives retailers an easy way to show customers how fragrance can become part of their everyday spaces—not only at home, but in campers, cabins, vacation homes, and other small spaces.
Try creating a “Camping Comforts” or “Weekend at the Lake” display featuring the Moroccan Lantern with Pine Grove Fragrance Oil. Add natural elements such as pinecones or greenery. Add a small lantern, plaid fabric, or other outdoor-inspired accents to help customers picture the diffuser in their own camper or cabin.
As the season changes, change the fragrance story too.
Pair the same diffuser with Pumpkin Spice or Apple Orchard for fall and show customers just how simple it is to refresh the atmosphere without buying an entirely new decorative piece.
That mix-and-match approach can also encourage repeat visits. Once customers discover how easily they can change fragrances, each new season becomes another opportunity to refresh their space.
Instead of simply displaying a diffuser and a bottle of fragrance oil, sell the experience customers can create with them.
Making Memories at the Lake
Our friend brought her adult daughter along on this trip. They each had their own tent and camping comforts, although some necessities—like that all-important coffee pot—were shared.
We spent our mornings doing our own things and usually gathered together in the early afternoon.
Her daughter had never been fishing, so David pulled out an extra pole, helped her get everything set up, and showed her how to cast.
It was pretty entertaining watching a 37-year-old woman get almost giddy over catching a little four-inch bluegill. It certainly wasn’t going to feed us, but it made a memory none of us will soon forget.
Fortunately, supper didn’t depend on the day’s catch.
We had each brought what we called “hobo packets” when we were kids—foil packets filled with sausage, onions, potatoes, and cheese. We tossed them on the campfire and had one of the easiest camping suppers imaginable.
After the embers died down, we toasted marshmallows, enjoyed the evening, and eventually headed our separate ways for bed.
Back inside the camper, the clean, woodsy fragrance of Pine Grove was still in the air. It brought a little bit of the outdoors inside and made our cozy camper feel perfectly suited to our weekend under the trees.
Ahhh...what a great night’s sleep.
Give Your Customers a Fragrance Story
Experiences like these are what make fragrance merchandising so effective. It's not just about the product—it's about helping customers connect fragrance with the moments and places they enjoy.
Customers aren't necessarily shopping for “a fragrance diffuser.” They may be looking for ways to make their camper more inviting, create a cozy fall atmosphere, freshen a guest room, or bring the feeling of their favorite outdoor getaway home with them.
Help them make that connection.
Merchandising ideas to try in your store:
- Create a “Take Fragrance on the Road” display for campers, RVs, cabins, and vacation homes.
- Create seasonal fragrance displays that show customers how one diffuser can complement different settings, occasions, and times of year.
- Display several fragrance options alongside the diffuser so customers can easily explore their choices.
- Bundle a diffuser with a fragrance refill as an easy camper or cabin gift idea.
- Remind customers at checkout that additional fragrances are available, creating a natural opportunity for repeat refill sales.
A beautiful diffuser may make the first sale, but the ability to change fragrances throughout the year can keep customers coming back.
Sometimes the best merchandising inspiration comes from showing customers how a product fits into the moments they already love—weekends at the lake, crisp fall mornings, cozy evenings, and memories made with old friends.
Belle Aroma® — helping your customers bring the fragrance of the adventure home.
Lori Herr for Belle Aroma® Brand
