Incense Sticks fragrances and buying patterns are evolving once again this festive season. The last two years had a far-reaching impact on people’s incomes, spending patterns, and overall consumer sentiments. This time the festive season is very special for retailers, manufacturers, and brands overall as it has come after months of lockdown and restrictions. Mysore Deep Perfumery House (MDPH) a household name in agarbatti market with its flagship brand Zed Black Agarbatti decodes the fragrance quotient of the country.
Talking about the festive demand, Anshul Agrawal, Director, Zed Black said, “As we prep for the festive season. we have been seeing great traction coming up. For agarbatti and dhoopbatti, the market sentiment looks quite promising, as it is every year during the festive season. Apart from Agarbatti, we have seen other categories like dhoop batti, dhoop cones, sambrani cups, and puja essentials also grow, which is also adding to the sales in current times. The Indian incense sticks (agarbatti & dhoop) market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 9.1% during 2022-2027.
While throwing light on the evolving buying pattern of the consumers, Ankit adds, “Over the years we have observed how the consumers have evolved in terms of choices & buying habits. The latest trend that we have observed is that consumers are looking at value-for-money products and opting for monthly packs hence we have launched a diverse portfolio of puja essentials with our latest ‘Samarpan’ series from 10gm to 500gms and from jar packaging to monthly zipper pouches and more”.
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He further adds “There is a shift towards bigger pack sizes and zipper pouches for daily puja needs. Consumers are ready to shell 50/- for an agarbatti pack instead of 10/- as was before. This is a welcome change for us also, as we have started offering more sticks at affordable price points, which has helped us capture the unorganized customers who are now shifting towards branded products”.
Ankit Agrawal, Director, Zed Black further decodes the e-commerce and the retail trends the industry has seen over the years. He shares, “Online sales for incense sticks are still very niche. Modern trade has been growing for a decade now but for an agarbatti product, sales are still driven by general trade or traditional brick and mortar shops across the tier 1, tier 2 cities, or the Bharat market precisely. It has picked up again and growing at a stable rate. Even today, we see several new retail shops opening in small corners of India from Kashmir to Guwahati to Kanyakumari. We are expecting double-digit growth this festive season for incense sticks and puja essentials”.
India exports incense sticks to over 150 countries. By the end of fiscal 2022, overall exports are expected to go up by 15%. He further adds, “The reflection is seen in the export market as well during the festive season, which grows by 20%. We see a surge in demand for incense sticks from all over the world with yoga and Ayurveda increasingly becoming popular overseas”.
On the shifting preferences in fragrances for the incense sticks ecosystem, Ankit shares, “Fusion fragrances are gaining popularity in Indian households. Last Diwali we introduced a fusion of Fruit & Spice with Apple & Cinnamon for our Aromix series which worked very well also Pineapple fragrance became very popular in South and East markets. Consumers are really vouching for a mix of traditional to floral to European fragrances like Marigold, Geranium, and Purple Star which will hit the market during Diwali from our state-of-the-art manufacturing units”.
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“Traditional fragrances like Rose, Mogra, and Sandal are first choices since time immemorial. They are like those quintessential fragrances that have the ruled hearts of fragrance connoisseurs for decades. We have two-decade old products like Deep Chandan Agarbatti and Manthan Rose Dhoop which are still evergreen”, adds Anshul.
While speaking about the products which will boost sales during Navratri to Diwali season Ankit Agrawal, shares “One more trend that the audience is spending on is charcoal-free incense sticks or dhoop sticks. The 6-inch dhoop sticks category is soon to pick up due to its bamboo-less feature. Consumers are opting for Pineapple & Parfum Series fragrances also in this category. Masala Dhoop will get traction, especially during Navratri and Diwali. Even products like Sambrani Cups get popular to create a mini havan aura at home which has natural herbs, guggul, and loban. Incense Sticks Made from Temple Flower waste also gaining popularity across the world”.
Zed Black today is one of the top 3 agarbatti manufacturers in the country.
The company also has set a strong global footprint with exports to 40+ countries like USA, Brazil, Ethiopia, Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, and more in 6 continents and employs 3500+ rural population, out of which 80% are women workforce. “We have created an employment opportunity across the value chain which is pegged at Rs 7,000 crore”, shares Ankit.
About MDPH:
Since its inception in 1992, Mysore Deep Perfumery House with, its flagship brand Zed Black 3-in-1 is amongst the key players in the organized agarbatti sector providing the highest quality range of agarbatti, dhoopbatti, dhoop cones, dhoop sticks, essential oils, hawan samagri and more accounting to a vast range of over 1200 products. The brand today is one of the top 3 agarbatti manufacturers in the country, processing over three crore incense sticks and selling 1.5 million packs per day.
MDPH employs 3500+ rural population and empowers 80% of our women workforce. The company has set a strong global footprint with exports to 40+ countries like the USA, Brazil, Ethiopia, Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, etc on 6 continents.
