Global niche perfume brands are readying to ride the wave of a growing Asian market.

Unlike skincare and cosmetics, in nations like China, South Korea and Japan, the fragrance market has historically been small. Uptake has lagged behind other markets like the U.S and the Middle East, where shoppers often wear a scent daily and own multiple premium perfumes.

That small market, however, is evolving, as consumers get more comfortable with the idea of wearing and collecting more scents. And while global designer fragrances from the likes of Chanel and Dior have long been present (albeit with a smaller footprint than their Western counterparts), now niche brands are poised to cash in on growing consumer demand for unusual, unexpected and exclusive scents.

Cult Swedish perfume Byredo is firing the starting gun. On March 19, it will inaugurate a newly designed flagship store in Tokyo, in the upscale shopping district of Omotesando Street, kicking off a chain of exclusive press and influencer events across the nation, with a similar rollout to follow in South Korea. The brand, known for its minimalist aesthetic and niche appeal has been steadily building its Asian retail presence with stores in China, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore, but is hoping to increase its appeal with redoubled marketing efforts and a new edition of a popular scent, called Blanche Absolu (from $280). The original Blanche is feminine, clean and crisp with notes of vanilla and jasmine, while the new addition has a twist of black pepper, amber, and woody notes, said the perfumer Jérôme Epinette.

“It has more sparkle,” he said.

Niche perfume brands have an inherent advantage in the market by offering something that feels unique, said Rachel Lee, a consultant at trends agency Foresight Factory. “There’s a mentality of not wanting the same things as other people,” she said, adding that the more esoteric the references, the better. For example, SW19, a cult Korean perfume brand named after a posh London postcode, gives customers a feeling of if-you-know-you-know clout.

“The interest [in perfume] has really exploded, and people are specifically looking for what’s new, undiscovered and what’s international,” said Sable Yong, an author and co-host of the fragrance podcast Smell Ya Later. She said Asian shoppers were tired of widely available brands, and preferred to try and find more niche names, which could benefit international brands. “If you want something different, it makes sense to buy something made overseas,” she added.

Many brands are looking to tap into the burgeoning market. British fragrance maker Perfumer H plans to open a raft of stores in Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul this year, while the Chinese luxury department store chain SKP opened a new outpost in the city of Wuhan in July 2024 that featured 40 fragrance brands. Global conglomerates like L’Oréal and Estée Lauder Companies have also invested in homegrown Chinese indie perfumers like To Summer and Melt Season.

Winning in this burgeoning market means understanding a different kind of scent profile, hyper-targeted marketing and tapping into the cultural zeitgeist.

“People have equal appetites for local brands as much as international brands,” said Lee, referencing the perceived refinement and rarification of European perfumery. “But they need to know their audience.”

A Clean Slate

The Asian perfume market is growing, but it still has distinct sensibilities and proclivities. In the West, super-sweet scents known as gourmands have seen fresh popularity thanks to likes of Sol de Janiero’s affordable body sprays laced with salted caramel and vanilla, as well as premium perfumes like Kayali’s Yum Pistachio Gelato and even classics like Theirry Mugler’s Angel. More incense-like perfumes known as ouds are often popular in the Middle East, with the popular Omani perfume brand Amouage offering a range of modern options.

In some Asian countries, lighter and fresher scents are preferred, said Yong. “It’s considered rude to walk into a room and just choke everybody out with your scent,” she said, adding that home perfumes were more popular. “I’m not surprised [Byredo] chose Blanche for this market … it’s very delicate.”

Lee said the preference for lightness dovetails with other facets of the Asian beauty market: “Think about Korean, Chinese or Japanese beauty trends; it’s all just clean skin … never piling on too much makeup,” she said.

But as the market grows however, consumers, especially those in the Gen-Z and Millennial cohorts, are becoming more open to different kinds of scents.

Some scents that are especially popular use traditional Asian scents like green tea and cherry blossom, said Federica Levato, a senior partner at management consulting firm Bain, describing it as culturally relevant consumption, and a way for shoppers to infuse their own sensibilities into the Western trend.

“There’s so much conversation around fragrance on social media…[local consumers] are becoming more open,” said Epinette, adding that historically Blanche had been very popular in the market, but there was now appetite for this reworked version. He said he expected Rose of No Man’s Land, another Byredo scent with notes of pink pepper and raspberry, to also be popular in the market.

Fresh Opportunities

For global brands looking to succeed in the market, localised strategies are important, said Lee. Any activations need to have real impact and creativity, she said, giving the example of the hip Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster, saying they excel at storytelling and creating a unique atmosphere with their striking concept stores and attention-catching displays.

Byredo is going hyper-local with its Blanche Absolu rollout. To herald its launch, the brand has a slate of events, including an exclusive dinner at Burnside, a top Tokyo restaurant, high-octane parties at the hip nightclub O-East in Tokyo and a cocktail party at XYZ Seoul, a trendy bar, which will be attended by Bae Doona, Lee Dong-Wook, and Mark Lee from K-Pop band NCT. There’s also an advertising campaign on Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya crossing and a forthcoming art exhibition in Tokyo — the O-East party alone is expected to have over 1,000 guests from the worlds of fashion, art and film.

Any global entrants will also be jostling with domestic brands, too. Bain’s Levato said direct-to-consumer brands had a leg up in the market, given the young customer base and the agility and flexibility that DTC brands usually have with their store experience and marketing. Asia is home to a number of cult perfumers, like the Korean line Borntostandout, which secured funding from L’Oréal in February, as well as makers like Documents, and diaspora brands like Vietnam-inspired, U.S-based D’Annam.

While in the West, Byredo’s home market, the brand might have been superseded somewhat in niche appeal by newer entrants after so many years of dominance as it has become more widely available, in newer markets like Asia, the brand has the benefit of being seen as a newer entrant.

Lee said on Chinese social media apps like Xiaohongshu (known in English as Red Note) and Wechat, Byredo “buying guides” are popular, infographics that explain what the top scents smell like and where to find them. (On Wechat, a one-stop app that includes chatting, social posting and shopping, some of the most popular perfume brands are Le Labo, Aesop and Jo Malone London.)

“Byredo are still riding high in the international market where they’re not so saturated,” said Yong. “But they need to capitalise on that before the market gets too saturated.”

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