Superdry enters new era with stock exchange exit and fragrance entry

Much of the ‘noise’ around Superdry in recent periods has been its ongoing restructuring process. But with that reaching a major milestone as of Monday, the company is ready to move on and its first key move is a major fragrance duo launch.

First, that milestone. Superdry said on Friday that its delisting from the London Stock Exchange means Friday was the shares’ last day of public trading. 

From Monday, it’s effectively a private company, although its ordinary shares will be admitted to trading on the JP Jenkins securities matching platform. This means shareholders and prospective investors able to buy and sell shares on a matched bargain basis. “Trades will be conducted at a level that JP Jenkins is able to match a willing seller and a willing buyer”.

As for the fragrances launch, it’s a big move for Superdry. The company isn’t a complete newcomer to perfumery but sees this launch as a new beginning in the sector as part of a drive to make a much bigger impact on it.

The launch comes as a duo, as mentioned, called Real Superdry 01. There’s a feminine and a masculine version and they’re available exclusively as of 12 July at The Fragrance Shop in the UK. The eaux de toilette are priced at £25 for 30ml, £35 for 50ml and £45 for 100ml.

They come in heavy glass flasks with their triangular shape reflecting the different key aspects of the brand. The scents’ names are one one side echoing the “free-spirited vintage appeal of Americana” that sums up the label’s fashion offer; while another has embossed Japanese calligraphy (a design feature for which the brand is known); and another side carries a small Union Jack to emphasise its Britishness.

Under the creative direction of Superdry CEO Julian Dunkerton, the scents themselves were created by master perfumers Nathalie Lorson (who worked on both) and Alexandra Monet (who worked on the Masculine Fragrance 01 only).

The company said that “from a singular unisex fragrance, twin olfactory expressions emerge, crafted into distinct echoes of both masculine and feminine essences”.

The scents share a foundation that unfolds “as unique and separate narratives. Chosen for their aromatic allure, the masculine rendition reveals a dance of salty mineral woody notes intertwined with the dynamism of citrus, cooled by the aromatic vibrations of Hinoki, a special Japanese cypress .

“The feminine interpretation delicately navigates mineral woodiness, unveiling a tender floral freshness”. 

We’re told that they’re “vibrant expressions of the Superdry ethos, an olfactory poetry that transcends the ordinary to lead with craft and celebrate contemporary culture”.

The fashion retailer is working with the Lalique Group on the launch, the two having signed a license deal two years ago. Lalique currently also markets its eponymous brand, as well as scents for Brioni, Jaguar, Parfums Grès and Bentley.

They’ve come up with a campaign that’s “rooted in the past yet firmly grounded in the present, it takes us on a journey of friendship and celebrates individuals by empowering people to forge their own path. Beyond visiting new places and crossing borders, it reflects a desire to step outside of our everyday existence, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. All the while grounded in the good life”.

The campaign tagline, TIME TO GET REAL runs through the project as “a call to arms for the modern maverick. Life’s unexpected twists emerge as paths to our most rewarding opportunities — if you dare to follow them”.