Agnieszka Lukasik: “We needed to develop the olfactory culture”

By La rédaction27 November 2023

Categories : Interviews

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Launched during the last edition of Exsence, the Milanese niche creation event, in April 2023, Niche by Nez is a free magazine aimed at showcasing the richness of the selective perfumery, published once a year, in both French and English.
Agnieszka Lukasik, co-founder of Galilu boutique in Poland with Warynia Grela, is among those who chose to distribute Niche by Nez. She recounts the history of her shops and discusses the importance of developing olfactory culture within it.

Can you tell us more about your boutique?

There were, and still are, two co-founders of Galilu: myself and Warynia Grela. We met by chance, and one discussion led to another and we had a vision and retail concept called Galilu before we knew it. Keep in mind that, back in 2004, there were no concept stores in Poland, let alone dedicated to niche fragrances and skincare. We opened our first shop in early 2006. We started with brands like Aromatherapy Associates, Miller Harris, M&G, Escentric Molecules, Mona di Orio and then quickly embraced Diptyque, Aesop, Byredo and many more who soon turned out to become cult brands. There was no alternative to our proposal on the market. We had a great “nose” for the selection and we still do. The olfaction was the main focus of the concept but its packaging was also key. We had a strong sense of interior design and always managed to be luxurious without the obvious ostentatiousness we both dislike. We also knew that to earn the respect and loyalty of our clients we needed to have excellent service and extremely knowledgeable staff. That was what won their hearts, and continues to do so after almost two decades.

Do you think it’s important to develop an olfactory culture among your customers, and why?

From the beginning, we needed to develop the olfactory culture, period. Imagine a shop full of niche brands that no one knew or heard of, and let alone wanted to buy at a consistently higher price than the average. How do you convince a client that this is all they need? So, from day one, we started to educate people : not only by talking about the brands and their uniqueness but also about the olfactive experience, and the historical context. We started doing workshops about fragrances, and we took time to properly introduce the concepts of the brands we sold. And over time clients began to develop their own scent preferences and truly enjoyed the process. It took many years, but we are considered experts. If someone wants to find their one and only scent, they come to Galilu.

Why did you choose to distribute Niche by Nez?

Because we love the world of fragrances. We are passionate about the industry, the creators and artists behind the fragrances, as well as their stories, and also about the history of perfume. There still is a very limited amount of literature about the olfactive sphere and so Niche by Nez fits perfectly into our expert world of Galilu, offering wonderful narratives, facts and knowledge for both our passionate clients and ourselves.