Sweet smell of success for niche perfumes [Video]

They don’t advertise and they are largely unknown to the general public but niche perfumes are able to command prices of hundreds of dollars from men and women seeking to stand out.

Produced in small batches with high-quality, natural or rare ingredients, niche perfumes are becoming big business even while retaining their exclusive nature.

“We’ve had absolutely incredible growth,” said Julien Sausset, director of Parfums de Marly, a France-based niche fragrance producer.

The company posted more than 50 percent sales growth in 2023 and expects more than 40 percent growth this year to $600 million in sales.

“People don’t want to smell like others anymore. They want to free themselves, affirm their identity,” Sausset told AFP.

Producers use high concentrations of unconventional ingredients to give their perfumes unique and complex scents, such as amber, bergamot, cedarwood, pink peppercorn, or rhubarb.

Niche perfumes account for 10 to 12 percent of the …