The parallel development of scenario-specific and all-category fragrances is reshaping the value of fragrance.
Julia Peng, Associate Research Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
Mintel defines fragrances and scented products as follows in this Report:
- Fragrances include parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette and eau de cologne with a perfume oil concentration of between 3% and 40%. Mintel uses the terms ‘perfume’ and ‘fragrance’ synonymously in this Report.
- Scented products include personal care, laundry and fabric care and home care products that provide fragrance benefits and explicitly claim such benefits (such as scented shampoo/shower gel/body lotion, scented laundry liquid/capsule, scented fabric softener and scented candles).
Market size in this Report only covers the fragrance market in China. It includes sales through all retail channels including duty-free but does not cover sales in the customer-to-customer market (eg WeChat Business or Taobao).
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Executive summary
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Market size and forecast for China’s perfume products
- Market factors
- Companies and brands
- The market now and innovation opportunities
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The market
- Market size and forecast
- China’s fragrance market surpasses RMB20.5bn sales in 2025, with growth rebounding and entering a steady cycle
- Graph 1: fragrance market retail sales forecast (best and worst case), 2020-30
- Market factors
- The beauty retail sector has recently rebounded but growth still lags behind the wider market
- Graph 2: YOY growth trend in retail sales of consumer goods and cosmetics, 2020-25
- Fragrance categories show steady but fluctuating imports alongside accelerating export growth
- Graph 3: import and export value of fragrances (RMB m), 2021-25
- Fragrance sector leads international expansion, using oriental aesthetics to overcome low-price perceptions
- Chinese perfume brands accelerate overseas expansion, with more than 20 domestic brands making a collective debut in Paris
- Brands branch out into fragrance to capture the olfactory economy and emotional utility
- Fragrance brands accelerate offline expansion and territory capture
- Reconstruct the talent ecosystem to push oriental aesthetics from marketing into R&D
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Competitive landscape
- International brands lead Tmall rankings as market share consolidates around group-backed brands
- Heightened competition among top players on Douyin drives frequent change in brand rankings
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The consumer
- Fragrance usage continues to expand from the person to the home
- Graph 4: fragrance/scented products purchase trend, 2024 vs 2025
- Boundaries blur as consumers adopt an immersive fragrance-infused lifestyle
- Cross-category fragrance product purchasing behaviour is becoming the main engine of market growth
- Graph 5: cross-category purchase trend of fragrance/scented products, 2024 vs 2025
- 30-49s represent the core spending group and are strong advocates of a fully scented lifestyle
- Graph 6: cross-category purchase trend of fragrance/scented products, by age, 2025
- Graph 7: changes in cross-category purchase trend of fragrance/scented products, by age, 2025
- Personal care serves as the primary entry point for fragrance consumption, while fabric care drives growth across all age groups
- Graph 8: sub-category purchase trend of fragrance/scented products, by age, 2025
- Graph 9: changes in sub-category purchase trend of fragrance products, by age (based on 2024), 2025
- Multi-texture combinations and layering create personalised fragrance experiences and drive cross-selling
- Redefine the olfactory experience with trendy fragrance charms as emotional-healing touchpoints within lifestyle settings
- Satisfy consumer demand for a holistic fragrance lifestyle by breaking category silos with multi-purpose fragrance products
- From buying a scent to buying an experience: psychological upgrading and channel restructuring under price anchoring
- Fragrance prices show clear tiers: mid-range options dominate, premium products coexist
- Graph 10: price range of the most recent fragrance purchase, 2025
- Usage motivations vary across price tiers, from mood boost to high-end self-reward
- Graph 11: motivation/reasons for using fragrances, by price range of the most recent purchase, 2025
- Online and offline channels operate in tandem, with premium pricing driving a return to offline experiences
- Graph 12: purchasing channels, by price range of the most recent purchase, 2025
- Reshape narrative spaces through public art, use multisensory engagement to elevate retail experiences and brand value
- Scenes as destinations: leverage the concept of armchair travel to reconstruct the spatial narrative of fragrance retail channels
- When scents can be ‘tasted’: reshape the fragrance experience as a third space with multi-sensory foodservice crossovers
- Scenarios and functions define fragrance preferences, leverage multi-scent combinations and niche innovation to precisely meet multidimensional needs
- Consumer fragrance preferences form a pyramid structure; floral leads while woody, citrus, fruity and oriental form the second tier
- Graph 13: desired scent, by category, 2025
- Olfactory comfort zones based on preference deviation: woody for spatial use, fresh for body use, floral for fabric care
- Graph 14: category-scent preference deviation* matrix, 2025
- From personal scent to home fragrance: explore the potential of woody and fruity scents in home environments based on the overall preference hierarchy
- Graph 15: desired scent, by occasion, 2025
- Occasion-based preferences: floral for social engagements, woody for corporate environments and natural notes for travel
- Graph 16: scenario-scent preference deviation matrix, 2025
- Meet scenario-based and functional fragrance needs through multi-scent combinations, scenario segmentation and niche innovation
- Mintel Spark: Light and Shadow · Dual Life Fragrance Set
- Mintel Spark: office space fragrance spray (woody)
- De-sweeten and localise gourmand scents, from brand merchandise to seasonal food innovation
- From self-care to social interaction: consumption drivers and touchpoints across four core consumer segments
- Reliability, enjoyment, rationality and socialisation: a four-dimensional map of fragrance consumers
- The profiles of the four major consumer segments
- A full portrait of the four major consumer segments
- Distinct fragrance worldviews shape purchase patterns across the four core segments
- Graph 17: fragrance products purchased in the past six months (TGI), by four major segments, 2025
- Clear structural differences in fragrance price choices across the four segments
- Graph 18: spending on the most recent perfume purchase, by four major segments, 2025
- Consumer demand for self-expression will reshape the scent preference landscape
- Graph 19: preferred scent types for perfume, by four major segments, 2025
- From self-use to gifting: the future of the perfume market will be driven by both self-care experiences and gifting solutions
- Graph 20: fragrance gifting vs personal use, by four key consumer groups, 2025
- Product innovation and marketing strategy for segmented consumer groups
- Mintel Spark: an entry-level set designed for social impression seekers to meet their multi-scenario needs
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New product trends
- The UK, US, Japan and South Korea markets focus on premium launches, while the Chinese market shows balanced pricing and a premium resurgence
- Graph 21: new fragrances, by price positioning, 2024-25
- Graph 22: new fragrances, by price range, 2020-25
- Japan and South Korea markets prioritise botanical concepts, while the UK and US markets emphasise ethical and environmental claims
- Graph 23: mainstream claims in new fragrances, 2024-25
- Botanical/herbal and aromatherapy claims are gaining momentum, while gender claims continue to decline
- Graph 24: mainstream claims in new fragrances, 2020-25
- Scents related to fantasy, the outdoors and emotional healing are on the rise
- Graph 25: scent families of new fragrances, 2020-25
- Spray formats remain dominant, while other formats stay stable
- Graph 26: format and texture of new fragrances, 2020-25
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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