Firmenich continues its strategic commitment to develop its presence in China with a partnership with Harmay, one of the leading Chinese retailers of high-end fragrances and beauty products. Their warehouse-based store aesthetic attracts a strong Generation Z customer base. The brand has become synonymous with art and culture. All of its offline stores feature innovative designs and have gained a loyal following for their unique consumer experience.

Photo credits: https://www.premiumbeautynews.com/en/firmenich-partners-with-retail,19733

Shiseido announced a partnership with Tencent to accelerate digital transformation at the group level. The partnership will create a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model and strengthen Shiseido's social commerce business to provide new services to Chinese consumers globally.

Berlin Packaging has acquired Premi Industries, a Milanese cosmetic packaging and services company, which employs over 150 US, European and Asian employees. Premi is the market leader in the beauty packaging sector with incredible know-how for design and production processes and will allow Berlin Pacaking to expand its product offering and become a single supplier of packaging solutions.

Photo credits: https://www.gcimagazine.com/packaging/news/21993126/berlin-packaging-berlin-packaging-acquires-premi

The two organizations have collaborated to produce fragrances that improve sleep quality. These fragrances have been biometrically tested during sleep using Sleepscore Labs technology. The test results showed improved sleep, a quicker time to fall asleep, less time awake during the night, and longer sleep duration and efficiency.

South Korean fashion companies are approaching the production of premium perfumes. Handsome Corp., a subsidiary of Hyundai Department Store Group, plans to open a Liquides Perfume Bar in South Korea, a shop for niche perfume brands that hail from France.

For spice lovers, Bois de Jasmine dedicates an article to the notes of cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, anise and fennel and some spicy fragrances that have these notes in their olfactory pyramid

A growing interest in incense, niche perfumery and skincare products with a distinctive fragrance characterize the Korean market. According to Euromonitor, the Korean fragrance market grew 36.4% from 2018 to 2019 and is expected to reach 650 billion won ($ 547.5 million) by 2023.

A prototype of a lickable TV screen capable of mimicking flavors was invented in Japan. Professor Miyashita, who built the prototype in the past year, estimates that making a commercial version would cost around $ 900 and its potential uses would include distance learning for sommeliers and cooks and tasting games and quizzes on all the tastes of the world. Miyashita said: "In the era of COVID-19, this type of technology can improve the way people connect and interact with the outside world. The goal is to enable people to experience something like eating. in a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home ".

Strong growth in demand for alcohol-free cosmetics is expected for the near future, especially in Asian countries, with reference to the interest in halal, vegan and botanical cosmetics