Why Is Creed Cologne So Expensive? (Top 10 Reasons)

 

One of the most expensive brands of perfume and cologne is the brand Creed.

With a scent that’s potent but enticing and that lingers for a long time, it’s no wonder that many people want to get their hands on this cologne.

However, the expensive price often turns many away.

The price of a 1.7-ounce bottle of Creed cologne rests around $335 and only increases from there.

You may wonder what’s in Creed cologne that warrants such an expensive price.

Here are 10 reasons Creed cologne is so expensive.

 

Why Is Creed Cologne So Expensive? (Top 10 Reasons)

 

1. Handmade

 

One of the reasons Creed cologne is so expensive is that it’s entirely handmade.

Many fragrance manufacturers use machines to harvest and mix their essential oils and other ingredients to create the scent.

Creed doesn’t.

They employ workers to do all the harvesting, processing, and mixing by hand.

They believe that only human hands can yield as potent a fragrance as they can.

Machines are too efficient.

It’s the human error that makes their cologne as potent and decadent as it is.

However, because it’s handmade, the production of their cologne and perfumes is slower.

They produce fewer bottles than those who produce with machines.

This increases the price of their cologne in a few different ways.

The first is that it creates a shortage.

Since they’re only able to produce a limited number every year, their supply never reaches demand.

That naturally increases the price.

The other reason is that it means they need to employ workers rather than machines.

Human workers are more expensive than machines since companies need to pay them wages.

They only need to buy the machines once for a long time and keep them maintained.

The ongoing nature of human labor costs drives up the price of the cologne.

Because every fragrance is handmade, it also drives up the price.

 

2. History

 

Creed has been producing cologne since the 1700s.

They’ve made colognes for kings and celebrities.

They’ve even used the same practices and methods now as when they did in the 1700s.

Because of their history, Creed considers itself an expert in the fragrance field.

With expertise comes high prices.

They’re often the last word on colognes and fragrance trends.

Their reputation and history for creating original fragrances for esteemed individuals also make their prices more expensive.

People are more willing to buy a fragrance at an expensive price if they know that a king or celebrity also has the same fragrance.

It makes them feel as though they’re part of the same social class.

This feeds into the price and keeps it high.

 

3. Rare Ingredients

 

Another reason Creed cologne is so expensive is that the company only ever uses rare ingredients to create their fragrances.

They send out experts to distant countries to take in exotic aromas.

They want to find ingredients that no one else is using.

They use these ingredients as inspiration.

Since they’re rare in the world, they’re already expensive to harvest and process.

They need to send even more experts to the area with the ingredient and harvest them personally if no one sells the ingredient.

Then they need to process and experiment with the ingredient to ensure it gives the type of fragrance that they’re aiming for.

There’s a lot of trial and error that goes into their manufacturing process.

If they run out of an ingredient, then they’re going to need to harvest or buy more.

Once they’ve found a new formula with the rare ingredient, then they need to start producing the bottles.

That requires more of the rare ingredient which increases the cost of production even more.

To cover their expenses, they need to sell their bottles at a high price.

This allows them to also go on other ventures to find yet more rare ingredients for other bottles of cologne.

 

4. Handcrafted Glass Bottles

 

The ingredients aren’t the only thing that increases the price of Creed cologne.

The bottle itself is also expensive.

That’s because they use a single glassmaker to create their bottles.

Pochet de Couval is the glassmaker who makes their bottles.

They carefully study the fragrance, consider the brand, then create a design that further tells the story of that particular fragrance.

These bottles are unique.

Pochet de Couval is also one of the most famous glassmakers in France.

They charge a good deal of money for their services.

To cover that price, the company has to place a high enough price on their cologne bottles.

Some bottles may be more expensive than others depending on the design.

If it was a particularly difficult design, for example, then it costs more.

That’s especially true if the glassmaker needs to make several hundred versions of that design.

Glass is also an expensive material.

Not only is it difficult to create, but the process of shaping glass is also difficult.

A glassmaker like Pochet de Couval only hires experts.

They don’t come cheap.

Thanks to its unique glass bottles, Creed cologne is expensive.

 

5. Collectible

 

Creed is more than a brand or cologne company.

They’re also collectible.

Due to the unique bottle shapes and designs, many of Creed’s bottles are collectible.

There are fragrance collectors who spend a great deal of money trying to complete their collections.

A few things make the Creed cologne bottles collectible.

The first is the bottle.

Every bottle of a new fragrance is unique.

Some fragrances use the same design for their bottles to better make their brand recognizable by that shape.

Creed doesn’t do that.

While some of their designs may look similar to one another, they always try to use a new and unique design for each new fragrance.

Because the bottles are different, collectors want them.

Another reason they’re collectible is their rare ingredients.

It’s rare enough that a fragrance company may use some of these ingredients in their formulas, but because they do, fragrance collectors want them.

They want to be the only ones in the world with a collection of rare fragrances.

The rarer that the ingredients are, the more collectible they are.

The fragrance, as a whole, is also collectible.

Since Creed puts a lot of effort into creating their fragrances, they also put a lot of effort into naming them.

Each fragrance sets itself apart from the others.

A true collector of fragrances wants them all.

Some of them are hard to find, especially the older ones.

Since Creed has been around since the 1700s, collectors have their work cut out for themselves.

The final reason that Creed cologne is collectible is that it’s a luxury brand.

There are only a few bottles released every year.

That shortage immediately makes it collectible.

Since not everyone can have a bottle, collectors pay a lot of money to get their hands on one.

However, because collectors are after the bottles alongside people who want to use the fragrance, that makes the shortage even more pronounced.

The result is a higher price all around.

 

6. Limited Production

 

Several factors cause Creed to only have a limited production of their fragrances.

The primary reason is that they make everything by hand rather than with machinery.

While the process is slower, it’s also more intimate and unique.

It also means they can only put out a few bottles a day.

The other reason they have a limited production is those rare ingredients.

Some of the ingredients may be difficult to find or may not produce a lot in a given season.

Since there’s already a limited number of ingredients available, they can only make a few fragrances out of them.

That puts a limit on how many they can produce in a year.

The final reason that they have a limited production is the market.

Creed understands that if they were to release a large number of cologne bottles, then they’d lose their value.

High prices occur when there isn’t enough supply to cover the demand for the product.

By deliberately not changing their practices, they can control how many products they produce in a year.

That ensures that they can always sell at a high price.

All those factors lead to limited production which raises the price of Creed cologne and makes it expensive.

 

7. Emphasis On Immersion

 

Creed does something different than other fragrance brands.

They don’t only make cologne to increase one’s natural scent or give one a unique scent.

They create their cologne for immersion.

Their workers spend a lot of time on the infusion process when creating their fragrances.

To them, creating the fragrance is an art form.

When someone wears Creed cologne, then they become immersed in the story that the fragrance tells as well.

This emphasis on immersion puts Creed in a class on its own.

Buyers have an interest in the type of experience they can have by wearing the cologne.

There’s almost an element of mystery about it.

That drives up interest and the love for the brand.

As a result, the demand is always high for the latest fragrance.

The price increases with the demand.

 

8. Luxury

 

Another reason Creed cologne is so expensive is that it’s a luxury brand.

It’s rare, expensive, and aimed at those who make a certain income.

Since it’s marketed as a luxury brand, it’s treated as a luxury brand.

With the luxury brand status comes the luxury brand price.

People don’t need to buy cologne, especially luxury cologne.

Those who do buy them do so because it reinforces their social status.

Luxury items are a way to show off one’s wealth and ability to afford expensive items.

As a luxury brand, Creed cologne is expensive because it carries the luxury price tag.

 

9. Shipping Costs

 

Creed cologne comes from France.

Since people across the world pay for their bottles, they also pay for shipping taxes that they build into the price.

To ship out their bottles, Creed puts a lot of effort into their packaging.

For one, it needs to keep the fragrance safe.

If the bottle breaks during shipping, then that’s a huge waste of money for both the buyer and for the brand.

It also harms their reputation as a luxury brand.

They also put a lot of effort into their packaging for aesthetic purposes.

No one wants a luxury product to come in a basic boring box.

Presentation and the experience of unveiling the bottle is part of the price that you pay.

That’s why Creed invests in high-quality packaging materials and designs to make unboxing their bottles an incredible experience.

Those who buy their bottles at stores also face markup prices.

The store has to pay for shipping costs associated with buying the bottles.

Some of those shipping costs stem from tariffs and other international trade taxes.

Once the bottles land on the shores of the native country, they’ll also face shipping costs for ground or air shipping.

Both of those methods come with fuel costs and labor costs.

The price of that shipping increases the further you are from France or a port.

Creed cologne is expensive because shipping it is expensive.

 

10. Grows In Value Over Time

 

A final reason that Creed cologne is expensive is that it increases in value over time.

The cologne bottles sold years ago are likely valued higher than the bottles sold today.

Elite bottles of cologne and perfume age like wine.

The older they are, the more valuable they become.

That isn’t because the fragrance becomes more potent.

It’s simply because, by a later date, there are even fewer bottles available.

Many buyers would have used their bottles by then.

Whether someone is a collector or a reseller, they know that they can sell their bottles at a higher price than what they paid for them if they wait a few years.

If you see a few Creed cologne bottles that are high in price, then there’s a good chance that they come from an older production line.

 

How To Save Money On Creed Cologne

 

It’s difficult to find ways to save money on Creed cologne.

They don’t authorize discount retailers to sell their cologne.

They feel it would cheapen the rest of their bottles.

You won’t find them discounted in stores.

That’s if you can find them in your local store at all.

It’s also difficult to find unsealed bottles for sale.

However, unsealed bottles are often not authentic.

There’s no telling if the contents of the bottle are actually another type of fragrance instead of the original Creed cologne.

Since they don’t sell them at discounted prices, if you do see a cheaper price on one, then it’s because it’s a fake.

Many sellers looking to make it rich on faux fragrances will either design their own bottle to match Creed’s or buy a Creed bottle and fill it with their own cheaper fragrance.

Then they’ll sell it at a more affordable price to attract more people to them.

Fraudulent fragrances exist, and it’s easy to find yourself lured in by the cheaper price.

If it is cheaper, then it’s because it’s fake.

There is one method you can use, however, to make buying Creed cologne more affordable.

 

Share With Your Friends

This method requires you to go all-in with a few friends who also enjoy Creed scents.

Between the group of you, it can drive the price down substantially.

The larger the group, the cheaper it is for everyone.

Once the bottle arrives, you’ll want to split the fragrance into smaller bottles for everyone.

Using an eyedropper can offer a more accurate split although it is time-consuming.

When you’re done, everyone gets their share of the fragrance.

Since Creed tends to be for special occasions, you likely won’t burn through it that quickly.

Since it was cheaper for everyone, you and your friends could end up buying several bottles.

You may find yourself with more cologne than you would have if you had bought a single bottle of it on your own.

Divvying up the cost with others is the only way you can really make Creed cologne less expensive.

 

Is Creed Cologne Worth It?

 

Considering the expense of Creed cologne, you may wonder if buying the fragrance is worth it.

In many cases, you can buy cheaper cologne with Chanel.

If you value exclusivity and handmade fragrances, then buying Creed cologne is likely worth it to you.

You’ll wear a cologne that uses extremely rare ingredients that go through a laborious infusion process to extract the very best of each ingredient.

You can also carry the brand name with you.

If anyone asks what that decadent scent is, then you can proudly tell them that it’s your cologne from Creed.

It can bolster your social status and make you feel good.

For many people, that’s worth it alone.

If you’re not as bothered about your status or exclusivity, then Creed cologne may not be worth it for you.

You may find other brands that have more enriching scents or those that are more pleasing to you.

At the very least, you might appreciate their bottle design or cheaper price more.

Like all fragrances, the decision comes down to what you’re willing to pay to smell great.

If you want to pay the ultimate luxury price, then buying Creed cologne is worth it.

 

Conclusion

Creed cologne consistently makes some of the highest sales among all fragrance brands.

It’s more expensive than the likes of Chanel and other similar brands.

As the cologne of kings and celebrities, Creed has a history that establishes itself as a luxury company.

Creed cologne is expensive because it’s a luxury product and uses rare ingredients in its handmade production.