Artisan and niche lines were the strongest part of the fragrance market last year with growth of new launches stepping up by +55% (on 2014), well ahead of the overall market’s respectable +15.6%. For the first time, over 2,000 new fragrances were launched in 2015.

Michael Edwards.

The data come from the 32nd annual edition of Fragrances of the World, the global guide to fragrance launches from distinguished scent expert Michael Edwards. It was released last month and shows that the artisan and niche segment is booming (see table below), with shared fragrances also a key trend at +49%.

Rai at ISG is going after more niche brands.

More duty free and travel retail buyers are also increasingly turning to niche brands in order to keep shoppers interested in their beauty assortments. Vimal Rai, Executive Director at airline concessionaire, Inflight Sales Group (HK), tells TRBusiness: “Our strategy is to change the mix that we carry, to go after more of the up and coming niche brands that are looking to particular markets, and not worldwide.”

Two segments saw decreases in launches last year: men’s scents (-2.2%) and celebrity scents (-8.3%) according to the Fragrances of the World data.

The bilingual English and French scent guidebook is said to be the most comprehensive and accurate scent classification.

Dubbed the ‘perfume experts’ expert’, Edwards’ guide is impartial and independent as it makes no charge for listing new fragrances. He also declines both advertising and sponsorship.

This year’s guide includes a foreword by critic Luca Turin and consolidates feminine, masculine and shared fragrances into one index, with their gender indicated by colour. Discontinued fragrances are now listed in a separate index for easy reference. For more information on the guide contact Margaret Khoury at: [email protected].