As we head into the final quarter of the year, let’s stop for a moment to assess where we are.

The Global perfume market is expected to hit $65 billion in sales this year. Estimates indicate that the niche* sector came in around $5 billion last year, growing between 9 – 13% annually, meaning it will generate about $5,5 Billion or nearly 9% of the total. The phenomenon of polarization is alive and well (super high prices vs entry-level price points) opening the path for more dupes and clones. Young men continue to spend leisure time shopping for fragrance while projection and sillage are still among the most sought after traits.

There is no question that people have changed the way they interact with fragrance. According to Barclays analyst Lauren Lieberman, we can rest assured that “fine fragrance is now a bigger part of more consumers’ daily regimens or habits than it was 10 years ago,”

And while that is music to our ears, it comes with a few concerns, one of which is the overkill of fake information floating around on the internet. Let me give you a few examples before I propose an alternative.

INFLUENCERS: Stop the Insanity

Our community seems to have a love/hate relationship with Influencers. The ones who really know their topic are lauded, but they are few and far-between. They are outnumbered by the ones who are preening for the camera, who are posting fake information, and who are giving ridiculous advice. In less than a week an industry friend of mine forwarded several Instagram posts to me that literally made my jaw drop while stirring my ire.

Several American influencers are going overboard with the number of sprays they think are necessary to properly wear a fragrance. Influencer and new brand founder Funmi Monet advises her followers to use her “rule of 20” to attain 100 sprays to get a “really nice scent bubble”. 20 on the arms, 20 across the torso, 20 on the legs….well sure, why not! I can smell you from here! Coincides with the launch of her new brand, and perhaps it’s a way to encourage buying a lot of bottles ($150 for a 50ml). Later in the month she created another video sharing the news that the stock sold out completely on Sephora.com when the fragrances launched.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DX5V4Kczueu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Then we have the Perfume Siren who has taught her whole family to overdose. In a recent Instagram video she entitled “the best selling family in the world” she asks family members to show their scent of the day and reveal how many sprays they used. Dad was the conservative one with 1 spray while another male family member admitted to wearing 50 sprays – each – of two different scents.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaeXIhZMXFQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

This is insanity.

I wonder if these people are laughing at their followers on their way to the bank, cashing commission checks.

I actually got into a dialogue with one and I must have scared her – or rattled her cage - to the point that she blocked me. It started when eliselovesmells wrote about “Mail Shock” - the idea that the shaking, vibration from traveling, and extreme temperature fluctuations (from a hot mail truck to an air-conditioned facility) can give a false impression of how a fragrance actually smells when it arrives on your doorstep. The takeaway? Don't judge it right away!

The kicker came when she complained about the smell of women’s sanitary products, questioning why a company like Aesop or a perfumer like Jérôme Espinette hasn't gotten involved to create better-smelling options. Perhaps because there is a line between fine fragrance and personal care, or because there are strict rules and regulations regarding products used internally? She claimed her comment was a joke, but when I asked her to stop spreading misinformation that undermines the industry, she blocked me. Of course I had also advised anyone who wants real information to come over to Essencional.

I wonder how many brands are sending product to these people. There is no moral compass and integrity has gone out the window.

Given the dubious advice that’s floating around out there, and the glut of preening content creators flaunting their fragrance collections, is it any wonder that people are parking their phones? The latest trend among Gen Z has been the Analog Summer of 2026 – a conscious stepping back from screen time, mindless scrolling and the oversaturated AI exposure we are subjected to every time we look at social media. At last, people are craving genuine human interaction and sharing a moment doing something – a hike, a picnic, a party – without having to post about it. In other words, enjoy the moment and ditch the phone.

And this may be the greatest opportunity for physical retail: to give consumers something the algorithm cannot.

Return Of The Great Retailer

Everyone talks about the store experience as if it is a new thing. It is not. Before the internet, before TikTok and social media, customers went to shops to discover: to smell, to touch, to feel, to see. Don’t forget, Le Bon Marché in Paris dates back to 1838.

In 1883 Emile Zola penned a series of articles that would become his novel, The Ladies Paradise, named after a fictional department store, in which the ruthless Octave Mouret, general manager, enticed women to spend their leisure time – and their money - in his store. His strategy? “…to trade on her desires, and to exploit her excitement.”**

Selfridge’s in London was founded by an American entrepreneur who changed how people shopped, encouraging browsing and bringing entertainment into the retail environment…in 1909.

The store experience existed long before eCommerce. Unfortunately the great department stores of yesteryear have morphed into cacophonous market places where the consumer fears walking the gauntlet to enter the fragrance department. Harrod’s is an icon in terms of prestige, but have you tried to shop there? The ground floor fragrance hall is about as far away from a luxury experience as you can imagine.

I am reminded of a conversation I had last month with a few perfume people in London. I was invited for coffee at Nick Steward’s Gallivant Stories atelier where we were joined by Samuel Gearing and Katie Read of SG Brands. We were lamenting the rise of the uninformed influencer who pushes products for monetary gain coupled with the demise of the retailer as curator.

It’s time for retailers to reclaim their role as arbiter of taste, as master of curation, as true merchants with expert advice!

A new generation of great retailers is already proving that this model works. In my travels, I have come across several independent shops that I would put in this category: 7Scents in Budapest, managed by Ákos Pozsgai; Skins and the Perfume Lounge in Amsterdam, run by Tanja Deurloo; the Osmoteca in Vienna; Sens Unique and Sayhar in Paris; Les Senteurs in London; Soliflore in Brighton, managed by Sarah Reason; fragrans in fabula in Milan; and Carlotta’s in Venice. My colleagues speak highly of Scent Stories in Brussels, Parfums Unique Eva Bogner in Munich and Vava Voom in Brno, Czechia. Across the Atlantic I’m impressed by ZGO and Ministry of Scent in San Francisco, The DryDown in San Diego, and Stèle in NYC.

What makes these shops stand out can be summed up in four points:

1. There is a strong point of view. Well chosen, curated assortments are often more compelling than an overwhelming abundance of choice;

2. Spaces with character. Architecture, design, history, and thoughtful merchandising can transform a store into a destination worth visiting;

3. A multisensory experience. Scent, sound, texture, lighting, and the artful presentation of products can create an experience that lingers long after the visit;

4. People who bring the product to life. Knowledgeable, passionate staff can turn product discovery into a meaningful human connection.

These retailers are discerning, pulling all of the pieces together to offer their clientele a holistic experience not to be found elsewhere. They create the excitement and interest that brings people in the door and then they deliver the service that brings those people back..

I’d also like to recognize the tremendous strides made by Eduardo Garcia, founder of My Scent Journey in Mexico City and by Femi Olusola of Seinde Signature in Nigeria. Both of these men came to retail as avid fragrance fans and collectors, making professional pivots to follow their passion.

Eduardo started chronicling his personal collection of over 400 fragrances as a hobby on Instagram when he discovered that a community of like-minded people existed. His down-to-earth approach and enthusiasm draw people to him; now a prominent YouTube fragrance reviewer, he has not only opened a boutique but is also the organizer behind MxScent, the premiere event In Mexico dedicated to fragrance.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbuAgXtsj-W/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Femi turned his personal collection of roughly 1000 bottles into an event space before acknowledging that he had to sell the goods people came in to smell. Five years later, he’s opened 17 stores as he promotes the world of niche fragrance in his country and beyond.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcN7WEQsTqi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

These are just a few of the stories that make niche and artistic perfumery so meaningful, so special and so real.

BACK TO THE REAL WORLD

Perhaps the biggest opportunity for fragrance right now is also the simplest: getting people to put down their phones and rediscover the pleasure of smelling for themselves.

Influencers aren’t going away, nor should they. There are knowledgeable, passionate creators doing an excellent job of educating and introducing new audiences to fragrance. But in an environment where attention, commissions and algorithms can easily overshadow expertise, the industry needs other voices of authority.

That is where the great retailer can make a comeback.

The best independent perfumeries are not simply selling bottles. They are editing, educating, interpreting and creating a sense of discovery. They offer something an algorithm cannot: a human being who listens, understands, makes connections and perhaps introduces you to something you would never have found on your own.

At a time when consumers are increasingly questioning what they see online, authenticity may become the ultimate luxury. A beautifully considered space, a knowledgeable sales associate, a compelling story and the opportunity to experience fragrance without a screen between you and the scent suddenly feel remarkably relevant.

The future of fragrance should not be digital versus physical, but digital leading us back to the physical experience. Because the most powerful influence may still be a knowledgeable consultant who listens and says, “After what you’ve told me, try this one on your skin.”

SOURCES

Fragrance drives US prestige beauty as sales top $17 billion in first half of 2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbL4Rauh1-l/

The Architecture of Male Anxiety - by Pierre Vouard

FOOTNOTES

*What is niche? Opinions vary! Some numbers include brands that used to be independent (Frederic Malle, Byredo, MFK, etc). Since there is no comprehensive agreement on the classification of “niche” the number cited is an approximation.

**Quote: The Ladies’ Paradise Quotes | Explanations with Page Numbers | LitCharts