{"id":14080,"date":"2024-05-15T11:20:22","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T11:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=14080"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:00:33","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:00:33","slug":"how-to-tap-into-chinas-booming-fragrance-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/how-to-tap-into-chinas-booming-fragrance-market\/","title":{"rendered":"How to tap into China’s booming fragrance market"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether it’s deodorant or perfume, scented candles or infusers \u2013 scent and fragrance sales have traditionally not found a huge market in China. However, in recent years, international brands have launched into China with gusto, and a number of successful Chinese brands have sprung onto the market with much fanfare. So why has smell suddenly become so important in China, and which brands are making the most of it? Tom Pattinson<\/strong> investigates<\/h2>\n

According to Huang Xuelei<\/a>, author of \u2018Scents of China: A Modern History of Smell\u2019, China\u2019s history of scent dates back to the incense culture that was a big part of the imperial court. However, it was in the 1930s that the first perfumes started appearing in China, when perfume manufacturers used natural and local smells. \u201cThey used local smells to keep costs down but also because of the familiarity between product and consumers. Physical exposure to a certain scent certainly attracts people to it. Today, traditional or indigenous Chinese smells are still very much relevant to the consumer trends,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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Elisa Harca, CEO of China Marketing Agency Red Ant Asia<\/a>, agrees that historically, China has had a long-standing preference for natural aromas such as incense, herbs and flowers rather than artificially created scents. \u201cThe use of perfumes and fragrances was not deeply ingrained in Chinese culture, which posed a challenge for the fragrance industry,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, China\u2019s beauty standards have evolved, and there is a growing emphasis on personal grooming, fashion and self-expression. Fragrances are considered an integral part of one\u2019s personal style and image, leading to increased demand for perfumes and colognes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Covid was a big turning point for the scent industry in the modern era. Harca explains that as people spent more time indoors, they were looking to \u201cenhance their living spaces and create a soothing atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHome fragrance products not only offer pleasant scents but also contribute to a therapeutic environment, aligning with the concept of the \u2018healing economy\u2019,\u201d she explains.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Huang agrees that Covid was an important trigger, not only as a way to enhance the home but also to find a new form of self-identity. \u201cChina had a very, very strict lockdown [during Covid], and people felt a need to find connectivity. Subconsciously, they regarded smell as a way to connect,\u201d she says. \u201cBut at the more conscious level, people found lockdown boring, and self-care and home care become a higher priority for them. The joke was that as people were wearing masks, they didn\u2019t need to wear lipstick, so instead they started to wear perfume instead,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

However, Huang argues that much of the surge is related to the confidence of the modern Chinese consumer. \u201cThey are more confident in terms of finding diversity and finding their own identity, and scents and perfumes are related to that trend,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people wear Chanel No. 5 or those iconic brands for status \u2013 and they are still selling very well \u2013 but it is definitely a younger generation of consumers who want to have their own identity who are developing consumer trends, tastes and preferences,\u201d says Huang.<\/p>\n