Daniel Patrick Giles, the founder of the luxury fragrance brand Perfumehead, talks about the fragrance trends of the last period. According to Giles it's all about emotional impact. “The trend that will stay and, in some ways, change the industry is how perfume brings emotional benefits,” he tells us. “Whether it's for well-being or self-expression, perfume is now a tool to communicate how it feels. This trend is changing how the customer experiences perfume and how perfume fits into their lives ".

Lisa Hipgrave, director of IFRA-UK, presented the results of the latest survey carried out in the UK by Yougov on the sense of smell at the Fragrance Forum 2022: 64% of adults say they can well imagine particular smells, e.g. grass, laundry and onions, as many people feel they don't have a good sense of smell, plus 26% said they noticed the smell of something more than eight times a day. It is also interesting to note that 22% of women, but only 11% of men, rate their sense of smell as "excellent". In future research, there are other factors that may be considered worth exploring, such as how or if perfume affects our moods, mental health and the onset of diseases such as dementia.

Samuel Fillon, the founder of the Sommelier du Parfum brand, talks about the market opportunities in the niche fragrance sector, the mechanism behind their AI machine learning technology and the current opportunities in Asia. Sommelier du Parfum is a sample sales service through an olfactory test and is also an expert in consumer insights in the sector.

It's always a challenge for indie brands to find suppliers who will work in smaller quantities. In this interview, co-founders of American company Dynamic Blending talk about the opportunities and trends linked to this sector.

Jonathan Brinbaum, global general manager of Bvlgari Parfums, talks to Hannah Tan-Gillies about the company's strategy: streamlining its distribution network and moving its product portfolio towards super premium and high-end lines. Bvlagri Parfums, according to Brinbaum, plays a special recruiting role for the Bvlgari brand. “We are the entry level purchase to recruit new customers in the Bvlgari world. As we elevate our total brand image, we must also elevate the perfume experience and appeal to younger generations in a new and exciting way.” Bvlgari's new Scentsorial experience, incorporating the Metaverse and NFTs into a multi-sensory journey , is a prime example of how the brand aims to appeal to the younger generation through technology.Scentsorial first debuted at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes.

The fact that L'Oréal recently acquired a minority stake in young Chinese high-end perfume brand Documents (闻献) confirms the growing interest in this developing category on the Chinese market. In late 2021, Puig acquired a stake in Scent Library (气味图书馆) and Firmenich signed a strategic partnership with Harmay (话梅), a new retail brand. “Compared to European and American consumers, the Chinese prefer intelligent, light, subtle, but not too sweet notes,” says David Huang, nose and Technical Director of Robertet. In addition to that, he insists they expect other functions than just a smell. In addition to the originality of a niche product, for example, perfumes must have a positive influence on our daily mood and improve our working condition by diffusing refreshing aromas.

Euromonitor has released the study "Revamping Digital Engagement in Fragrances", highlighting the factors driving fragrance innovation and the evolution of consumer demands following the COVID-1, including the relevance of ecommerce, towards which they have migrated all generations of consumers and the repositioning of the image of fragrances. As high levels of stress globally introduced the demand for emotional well-being, the industry has repositioned fragrances away from sensuality and social occasions towards self-pampering , feeling special and personal well-being, and added functional statements related to emotions and mental well-being.

Fragrance sales remain resilient despite the current economic climate. Why? It could all be about the way a scent makes you feel.