China’s Growing Fragrance Market

While China was always a significant hotspot for fashion in terms of style, fashion, and beauty products, the country does not have a successful history of fragrance sales(one of fashions biggest financial anchors). However, this is currently changing, as many young people in China have had an increasing interest in wearing fragrances.

According to the market research firm Mintel there was no more than one percent of worldwide perfume sales in China in the year 2017. As China’s youth culture pushes to make fragrances more of a significant factor in eastern society. Younger generations have been enjoying using fragrances to express themselves lately, which many people already have done with clothing, makeup, and accessories. If people can visually express their unique styles with the clothing and accessories that they wear on their bodies, why can they not express their individuality through scent as well?

China’s top three most popular fragrance brands at the moment are Armani Beauty as number one, Atelier Cologne, and Chanel, according to the article “Why Is it the Moment to Enter the Chinese Fragrance Market” from Fashion China Agency. The article was last modified in February 2021 and explained that Chanel was at the top of China’s fragrance market back in 2019 but dropped a few spots down the list over the past couple of years.

According to Euromonitor International, the fragrance market in China was worth 10.9 billion yuan, which is equivalent to 1.7 billion U.S. dollars. By the year 2025, this market is expected to grow by at least double it's current value, as it will likely surpass 30 billion yuan, or 4.7 billion U.S. The Fashion China Agency also explained that customers in China typically lean toward fragrances that are more subtle rather than potent, as an easy gateway to cox people into this new yet quickly growing market. Ultimately, China’s fragrance market is scaling quickly, and the projections show that the industry will only become more lucrative.