Maybe you haven’t seen it or heard about it. But Mia Ton, a Minnesota-based social media influencer, says you’ve probably smelled it: The sweet, floral and fruity scent in a pink bottle that has been trending on social media, becoming a must-have item this holiday season.
“It’s the pink Yara, I just got it,” Ton said. “Every single guy I’ve talked to, they always say it smells so good.”
The demand for the viral pink Yara by Lattafa has hit the Twin Cities and has been fueling business at fragrance stores that are seeing an influx of new customers.
Shoppers refer to a variety of fragrances produced in the Middle East as “Arabic perfumes” and have been raving about them online due to their long-lasting scent and affordability.
The pink Yara perfume is listed on Amazon as an “overall pick” for women’s fragrances. The online retail giant sold more than 70,000 units within the last month.
The localized trend is due in part to Ton who posted a video on TikTok to her more than 350,000 followers following a visit to Al Hussein Perfumes in Minneapolis, where she tried out perfumes. Her video racked up more than a quarter million views. She says she also learned about the perfumes on TikTok.
“I probably would never have gone to these Arabic perfumes if it wasn’t trending on TikTok, I’m not going to lie, just because I never knew about it,” Ton said.
In the video, Ton urges fans of Arabic perfumes to find their local shops instead of buying online. She says she was planning on buying some of the trending perfumes online but was stopped by a friend.
“My friend told me to search up an Arabic perfume shop so that I could smell it in person. So I did. There was one in Minneapolis,” she said.
The day after the video, Ton was told by store owners there was a line outside the door by the time they opened.
Other stores like Bab Alyemen in Roseville also saw a surge. Owner Abdulkadir Jailani is originally from Yemen, but came to the Twin Cities from Michigan. He said he’s seen the video and has had people come in asking for specific fragrances they’ve seen trending online.
“Before we were bringing only, like about 100 to 200 pieces of each [fragrance]. But now we bring in thousands,” Jailani said.
The holiday season is the peak time for sales at his store. He started the business via Facebook seven years ago and in the last two years it grew enough to warrant a storefront at the Rosedale Center and a kiosk.
The shop owner said the three Yara perfumes for women are his most popular item. Depending on the shop and the mark-up, shoppers are likely to find them for $30 to $50.
Jailani’s most recent order amounted to 2,000 units of Yara perfumes in August. As of mid- December he had less than 500 left.
Customers come in asking for different Arabic perfumes too, according to Jailani, who is quick to showcase alternative fragrances to his customers.
“These are stronger, last longer than the Yara,” he says as he grabs boxes from behind the counter.
He still sells via Facebook and other social media accounts. Most of his online sales come from out of state, especially from Michigan.
The shop currently offers a balance of mens and womens fragrances, but Jailani said that might change. The demographics of his customers are changing, too.
Bab Alyemen is seeing a more racially diverse clientele as other cultures discover Arabic perfumes, and women are by far his top buyers.
“Before it was a 50-50 mix but now it’s more women, about 90%,” Jailani said.
The boom in business has also encouraged Bab Alyemen to expand. The store currently sells both fragrances and clothing, but in coming months will open a second, fragrance-only store at Rosedale Center.
Jailani said he’s hoping to expand to other malls soon too.
“I know perfumes, some customers when they come to me they change their minds,” Jailani said. “The problem is with the famous [influencers], if they say they like one perfume and that one sells.”
Ton said the purpose of her video was to support local small businesses while also introducing women to fragrance options that they typically wouldn’t find at a big department store but they might see on social media.
“That’s probably the only reason a lot of us are trying out Arabic perfumes is because it’s such a big trend and affordable too,” Ton said.
