Niche perfumes don’t publicize themselves and remain largely unfamiliar to the general population, yet they can fetch prices of hundreds of dollars from individuals looking to make a statement.
Made in limited quantities with high-quality, natural or hard-to-find ingredients, specialty fragrances are becoming big business despite maintaining their exclusive status.
“We’ve experienced truly remarkable growth,” said Julien Sausset, head of Parfums de Marly, a France-based niche perfume company.
The company reported a revenue increase of more than 50% in 2023 and is projecting an increase of over 40% for this year, bringing total sales to approximately $600 million.
“People wish to no longer be confined to traditional scents and instead want to forge their own path, expressing their unique identity,” Sausset said to AFP.
Manufacturers employ high concentrations of unusual ingredients to create distinctive and intricate fragrances, such as amber, bergamot, cedarwood, pink peppercorn, or rhubarb, for their perfumes.
Niche perfumes account for between 10 and 12 percent of the total market, as stated by Sausset.
The niche fragrance market is expected to continue growing at a significant rate, with an expansion of 13% annually, outpacing the growth rate of mass market perfumes which is between 3 and 5 percent per year.
Something different
Present in over 80 countries, Parfums de Marly does a significant portion of its business in the United States, where a small bottle will cost at least $250.
It aims to launch a boutique in Paris close to the Champs-Elysees, specifically in the Golden Triangle area renowned for its plethora of luxury retail stores.
‘What’s essential,’ Sausset said, ‘is setting up a space where your own sales team can create some compelling narratives and showcase our products.’
The brand was founded in 2009 by Julien Sprecher, a connoisseur of the 18th century, which also marks the time when modern perfumery emerged.
The name originates from the Chateau de Marly, situated near Versailles, which was a venue for Louis XV’s extravagant social gatherings.
High-end perfumes appeal to a sense of indulgence.
Julie El Ghouzzi, author of a book about the luxury industry, stated that the sector arose in response to the widespread adoption of perfumes in the 1990s, during which numerous brands appeared to emulate one another.
Some perfumers sought to challenge conventional ideas about “masculine” and “feminine fragrances, opting to create scents around luxurious ingredients, listing the names of those ingredients instead of brands.”
‘Bottle code’
These independent perfume makers “lacked the funds to purchase bespoke containers, so they used rectangular bottles for all their fragrances. And it turned out surprisingly effectively,” said El Ghouzzi.
Their success prompted luxury brands such as Dior and Cartier to emulate them by using simple bottles to indicate that their product was exclusive.
This “bottle code” has undergone a transformation, with some fragrance experts now opting for more innovative bottles, yet beauty products giant L’Oreal still employs it for its specialty perfumes.
While the bottle appeals to consumers’ sense of distinction, it is what’s contained within that truly creates a deviation.
“For a perfume costing 400 euros per bottle, it’s essential to use high-quality orange blossoms in generous quantities,” said Karine Lebret, L’Oreal’s global vice-president for scent science and fragrance design.
“Every premium brand today has its own signature perfume,” said Eric Briones, who authored a book on luxury and Generation Z (the demographic comprising individuals born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s).
He pointed out that the Chinese market, especially Gen Z, prefer niche perfumes as opposed to other luxury products.
There is also the ultra niche specialty of bespoke perfumes.
Sylvaine Delacourte, who previously developed perfumes for Guerlain, now runs her own perfume line, but also offers to custom-create bespoke fragrances.
A two-hour session is scheduled with customers to embark on a “journey through their olfactory recollections”.
The unique fragrance is crafted over several months for a price of 20,000 euros, which is equivalent to nearly $21,000 for a two-litre quantity.
