Paris meets Shanghai: A fragrant prelude to Notes Shanghai

“In China, everything evolves very quickly,” noted Dao Nguyen. With a penetration rate of just 5%, the Chinese perfume market is expanding rapidly yet remains fiercely competitive. Once seen as an El Dorado for international brands, China has become an increasingly demanding and challenging arena where local players are raising the bar.

Driven by a highly pragmatic, value-for-money mindset, Chinese consumers are exerting downward pressure on prices while becoming increasingly informed and discerning through social media. According to Grégoire Granchamp, CEO of the Next Beauty incubator, the entry cost for a foreign brand now ranges from EUR 200,000 to EUR 2 million. Entering this market without a clear strategic vision and trusted local partners is no longer an option.

Highlighting the paradox of a market expanding in volume, but which declined in value in 2024, Michel Gutsatz, CEO of Le Jardin Retrouvé — a brand that has been present in China for five years — identified three key consumer expectations: authenticity, storytelling, and a compelling in-store or pop-up experience. These principles, he noted, apply to all players in the market.

Selling a philosophy of life

To differentiate themselves from European players, Chinese perfume houses such as Documents, Maison de Sit.E, Herbeast, To Summer, and Melt Season skillfully bridge Eastern and Western influences, backed by a deep understanding of their domestic market.

The pillars of their success? A strong visual identity, innovative packaging, and immersive retail experiences on an XXL scale — blending contemporary architecture with local cultural elements, striking scenography, artistic events, and community engagement.

Their brand positioning extends beyond fragrance to embody a complete lifestyle and aesthetic culture, underpinned by values and commitments that also influence sectors such as fashion, skincare, makeup, and even stationery.

This model appears to be gaining ground in the niche perfume segment. For instance, HandhandHand places a strong emphasis on craftsmanship, particularly in glass art. Its three boutiques feature unique sculptures handcrafted by the brand’s three founders. Beyond skin and home fragrances, HandhandHand has also revived the ancient tradition of scented sachets made from dried plants, reimagining them as modern accessories designed for handbags.

Cottee, for its part, first responded to customer demand by creating a candle for its coffee shop patrons who wanted to take the café’s atmosphere home with them. Building on that success, the brand partnered with dsm-firmenich to develop a collection of fragrances inspired by destinations visited and photographed by its founder. The accompanying written and visual content evokes the charm of a travel diary and a sense of intimacy, while the design reinforces this spirit with compact, travel-friendly 30 ml flasks retailing for around EUR 40.

Traditional identity codes and culturally rooted Chinese references

Many brands are rooted in Chinese cultural heritage. For example, the narrative of Lychee, one of Melt Season’s latest fragrances, refers to an ancient legend.

The Xi brand promotes an ancestral cotton paper technique and adorns its bottles with it, while Le Goût de Peau strives to defend the customs and traditions of remote rural provinces. One of the fragrances is inspired by wind chimes.

The entire visual universe of Zhu Fu Fragrance revolves around bamboo, a symbol of resilience and prosperity. A devotee of Feng Shui, the founder, who is also a designer, skillfully harnesses the symbolic power of each element to create a harmonious whole. In collaboration with Robertet, he incorporates healing plants into his compositions, blending design, philosophy, and well-being.

Outis embraces the power of Chinese pharmacopoeia and medicine, coupled with astrology. Their fragrances with herbaceous notes aim to influence the flow of vital energy.

Founded by Tianle Feng, a graduate of French renowned perfumery school ISIPCA, Voice from the Sky whispers snippets of its history in an olfactory language that aims to be universal.

Defining a Chinese olfactory signature

Rooted in traditional local ingredients such as tea, osmanthus, incense, medicinal herbs, sandalwood, and oud, Chinese perfumery has developed its own distinctive olfactory codes. Cultural nuances play a key role: for instance, the Chinese never flavour their teas, whereas the Western olfactory interpretation of tea often evokes bergamot, as in Earl Grey. Celebrated for its refinement, Aged Pu-Er Tea by Zhufu Fragrance perfectly embodies this singular Chinese olfactory identity.

Florent di Marino, perfumer at Symrise and a resident of China for nine years, observes a clear preference for long-lasting fragrances, but not necessarily volume. Inspired by this insight, he created Pomelo for Soulvent — a bestseller distinguished by its slightly bitter freshness and impeccable longevity.

Damfool Perfume, for its part, has created a fragrance centred on an unconventional animal ingredient — yak excrement — a distinctive note from the Mongolian highlands that the brand has surprisingly made appreciated in Paris.

Clearly, young Chinese perfumery already has plenty of tricks up its sleeve!