Current economic conditions in the US have not slowed down the consumer demand for beauty products that deliver luxury experiences without premium price tags, with indie brands, particularly in the fragrance space, stepping in to close the gap. As noted in a recent Circana Complete Beauty report, there is “rising interest in fragrance dupes, or lower-priced scents with a resemblance to luxury brands, [and] sales of private label mass brands, which are leaning into this trend and driving innovation in this area, grew by 94% in 2023.”
This month’s Indie Insights column explores the rising trend of “affordable luxury” with Cassandra Martinez, founder of ALT. Fragrance. Known for offering high-quality scents at accessible price points, ALT. has built a business around challenging traditional pricing models in the fragrance market.
In this month’s Indie Insights Q&A, Martinez shared the challenges indie brands face in balancing quality with affordability, the operational strategies that underpin ALT‘s success, and the evolving consumer behaviors shaping the future of affordable luxury in beauty.
CDU: ALT. Fragrances has built a strong reputation for offering high-quality scents at accessible price points. What inspired you to pursue an affordable luxury positioning in the fragrance market?
Cassandra Martinez (CM): It started while I was in college, I’d steal sprays of my father’s Creed Aventus before going out, but with a college budget, I couldn’t afford the $400+ price tag. I had one question. Why?
That curiosity turned into an obsession. That’s when I realized there was a massive opportunity: create a brand that delivers the feeling of luxury without the markup. ALT. was built to challenge the system and give people access to the high-end scent without the elitist price tag.
CDU: What are some of the biggest challenges indie brands like ALT. face when it comes to delivering premium quality while keeping prices competitive?
CM: The hardest part is discipline. It’s easy to cut corners or compromise when margins are tight. But we don’t.
From raw ingredient sourcing to logistics, every part of the system has to be lean, efficient, and scalable. Many indie brands focus too much on artistry and not enough on systems. We aim to bridge that gap and do both.
CDU: Can you share some of the key strategies or innovations, whether in sourcing, formulation, packaging, or distribution, that have helped ALT. maintain both quality and affordability?
CM: We removed the fluff. We don’t spend millions on celebrity campaigns, fancy packaging, or store counters.
We stick to the basics and obsess over formulation and sourcing, working with some of the same labs and ingredients that supply the big players, but without the markup. We brought vertical thinking to a horizontal industry, and it’s working.
From owning our manufacturing facility, direct-to-consumer distribution, and scent development, everything is built to serve the customer the best possible product at the best possible price.
CDU: How do you approach product development to ensure that each new launch meets consumer expectations for luxury while remaining accessible?
CM: We obsessively listen to our customers. Social media comments, reviews, search queries, surveys… It’s all data points to us. If we see a demand for a scent, we move FAST.
Our goal is always to outperform the inspiration and make it even better. We also test like crazy. We won’t launch anything that doesn’t pass blind smell tests, feel premium, or special. That’s our north star.
CDU: Have you noticed any shifts in consumer demand or behavior around affordable luxury beauty, particularly among your customer base?
CM: Absolutely. The consumer is informed and not afraid to question everything… They want value, performance, and transparency.
I feel that luxury has really shifted from being about price to being about smart choices over the last few years, as we’ve seen with the rise of “Dupe Culture,” and we’re taking advantage of this wave by being the best dupe to designer fragrances on the market.
CDU: In the competitive fragrance space, what role do storytelling, brand identity, and community engagement play in elevating the perception of affordable products?
CM: It’s everything. Although in a blind smell test, ALT. beats many of their $300+ counterparts, truly conveying this is the challenging part.
We’ve seen that our audience doesn’t want to be sold to; they want to be included and belong to something smart, disruptive, and fun.
CDU: Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for indie brands to continue driving the affordable luxury trend in beauty, and where do you see ALT. Fragrances evolving in that landscape?
CM: This is just the beginning. AI-driven discovery is transforming how people find products, and while big brands tend to move slowly, indie brands like ALT. can move fast, adapt quickly, and meet demand.
ALT. may have started as an “alternative,” but it’s evolving into a discovery engine, especially for younger consumers just stepping into the world of fragrance. For far too long, luxury scents have been priced out of reach, reserved for the few.
My long-term vision is simple: to fully democratize the world of fragrance and make ALT. the default choice for anyone who wants to smell like a millionaire without having to be one.