CHINA. Interior fragrances are fast becoming “must-have” accessories for trendy Chinese luxury shoppers. This represents a major opportunity for the travel retail market.
Candles, essential oils, diffusers, and even potpourri are now being showcased in many concept stores and brand flagships in major cities across China, according to Jing Daily, a content partner of The Moodie Davitt Report.
Perfuming the interior has a long history in China that stretches between the 3rd century B.C. to the 19thcentury A.D., and fragrances and incense have traditionally been used for rituals, philosophy and meditation practices, and toiletry, among other purposes, Jing Daily notes.
Ancient incense and fragrance burners were often made into beautiful decorative objects that would represent a certain level of status. Jing Daily reports that an exhibition titled “Perfumes of China, the culture of incense in imperial times” was recently held at Paris’s Asian art museum, Musée Cernuschi.
“Home fragrance is booming in China for three reasons,” Chinese millennial and Grasse Institute of Perfumery student Wanqiu Chen told Jing Daily. “First, the Chinese have burnt incense ever since the Han Dynasty. Second, there are more home fragrance choices than ever before. And lastly, the marketing strategies for perfume and fragrances have been very strong lately, with lots of celebrities and KOLs sharing their decor and candle purchases on Chinese social media.”
The new trend in fragrances in China mines the country’s rich heritage of scents, giving them a Western twist. The Jing article emphasises this by taking a close look at some of the brands and outlets that are taking advantage of the huge Chinese interest in luxury interior fragrances including Dior, Diptyque and The Beast Shop.
Jing points out that success in the interior fragrance market is not simply about having a big brand name, it’s also about the scents themselves, concluding: “But now, younger consumers want to know how to fragrance their interiors as part of their holistic luxury lifestyles, and thanks to social media, this demand continues to blossom.”
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*This article was originally published by the much-respected JING DAILY, a Moodie Davitt Report content partner.
