Dossier, the TikTok-beloved fragrance brand known for its less-expensive designer dupes, is going back to basics with a brick-and-mortar boutique.

“When we started Dossier six years ago, the idea was to educate customers and focus on what the perfume is really about, which is the scent itself,” Dossier Chief Operating Officer Ines Guien tells Fashionista. After years of selling perfumes through screens — an impressive feat — the brand arrived at a simple truth: “We realized that people wanted to really smell the product.”

Open now at 242 Elizabeth St., the shop is situated in an area some have dubbed “Scent Row” since it’s known for its perfumeries. Le Labo, D.S. & Durga, Aesop and Malin + Goetz are all just a stone’s throw from Dossier’s new flagship. Being flanked by these competitors was no accident, says Dossier Vice President of Branding Max Poussier.

“Our positioning is different because we can do the luxury-style imagery, or a luxury boutique on a luxury street, yet our price is for the people,” he says.

Dossier’s 1,300-square-foot boutique is certainly luxurious, having been designed by Malherbe Paris, an architecture firm that has also been contracted by Dior, Givenchy and Moët Hennessy. The Nolita shop’s open-concept space leads into a gallery display of the brand’s wide-ranging scent catalog (backdropped, of course, by Dossier’s signature coral shade).

Fragrances are grouped by scent family: gourmand, earthy, floral, fresh. It’s all part of Dossier’s educational philosophy. “This aspect goes from the olfactive family all the way to the naming of our scents,” Guien adds.

The formerly online-only DTC business expanded its in-store footprint with help from third-party retailers like Walmart and CVS. Since entering the big box store three years ago, Dossier has become Walmart’s number-one fragrance brand.

Still, Guien insists, Dossier having a retail identity of its own is paramount for growing the company.

“Having a space that’s ours, where we can really control the customer experience and the way we want people to navigate throughout the environment, is something that was very important for us,” she shares.

Dossier’s claim to fame has always been its accessibility. The French-born, New York-based brand’s bestselling Impressions line offers designer-inspired scents for a fraction of the cost. With the new boutique, Dossier is hoping to place greater emphasis on its Originals. When Dossier debuted its first pop-up in New York last summer, the team was pleasantly surprised by the popularity of its unique formulas.

“The pop-up showed us that when customers have an in-person experience, they are so much more willing to try an original fragrance,” Poussier explains.

In line with this strategy, Dossier released its newest Originals scent, It Factor, in-store five days ahead of its online launch on July 3.

As for further expansion, Dossier will open a second store at the Queens Center Mall later this summer. The 800-square-foot space is intended to test how Dossier will fare in both urban and suburban environments.

“Both stores are here to perform, but it’s also very important for us that everybody be represented,” says Poussier.

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