Industry veteran Vesa Kalho is set to steer the Fragrance Shop’s new niche concept, Fraegra. Currently under development, it marks the clear recognition of the growing importance of niche perfumery in the fragrance sector. Kalho recently participated at Esxence where he shared his expertise on how brands can appeal to retailers.

The prevalence of fruit notes is a trend that was spotted earlier this year at the 2025 edition of Esxence where mango, guava, passion fruit and even banana made the scene. In this article four perfumers and fragrance industry leaders comment on technical, historic and contemporary aspects of fruit notes in perfumery.

US beauty titan Ulta has just acquired Space NK, a chain of 83 beauty stores in the UK and Ireland. The deal gives Ulta an immediate foothold in the market while Space NK, a long-time supporter of niche brands, will benefit from the scale, brand relationships and resources of its new owner. Could the deal provide the previous owner, Manzanita Capital, with funds to acquire new brands?

It’s music festival season so why not take an olfactory trip down memory lane to the first mega-events and the smells that accompanied them? From the patchouli fueled era of psychedelic rock to the quest for clean smelling scents to counteract days of partying, this escapist article pairs many niche perfumes with moments at Glastonbury.

If, after our series on Soviet Perfume, you are hungry for more history about fragrance in Russia, here’s an interesting article that covers the relationship between luxury goods company Fabergé and fragrance. The brand history spans a product cycle from Imperial jewel-encrusted eggs to Brut fragrance.

Fragrance consumption – especially niche fragrance – continues to rise, and as seen before, Gen Z has been a key driver. They’re fueling their passion for scent on TikTok and in dedicated forums, gaining knowledge and some are even pursuing the craft. An interesting look at the historical context.

As the luxury sector encounters its biggest downturn in years, brands are embracing innovation in packaging to address consumer concerns. Beauty and sustainability are still important and with the soon to be standard Digital Product Passport (DPP), technology will allow the outer pack to communicate transparency, sourcing and the brand story.