Niche brands: What's missing from our list?

Niche brands: What's missing from our list? 0

Hello fellow fragrance enthusiasts!

I'm in the process of curating the perfect collection of niche and high-quality designer fragrances for a new online perfume shop, and I'd love your input. Our target audience includes both fragrance novices and connoisseurs, aged 16-50, who value personalization, quality, and authentic self-expression through scent.

Here's my current list of brands:

Acqua Di Parma, Amouage, BDK Parfums, Bond No. 9, By Kilian, Byredo, Creed, Diptyque, Etat Libre d'Orange, Escentric Molecules, Ex Nihilo, Frederic Malle, Goldfield & Banks, Gritti, Histoires de Parfums, House of Oud, Imaginary Authors, Initio Parfums Prives, Juliette Has A Gun, Le Labo, Lorenzo Pazzaglia, Maison Crivelli, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Mancera, Memo Paris, Montale, Nasomatto, Nishane, Orto Parisi, Parfums de Marly, Penhaligon's, Roja Parfums, Serge Lutens, Tom Ford, Xerjoff

I'd love to hear your thoughts:

1. Which brands would you remove from this list and why?

2. What essential niche or high-quality designer brands are missing?

3. Are there any up-and-coming brands that you think deserve a spot?

4. How well does this selection cater to different age groups and fragrance preferences?

Our goal is to offer a diverse range of high-quality fragrances that allow individuals to express their unique personalities. Your expertise and opinions are invaluable in helping us create the ultimate fragrance collection.

Looking forward to a lively discussion and discovering some hidden gems!

2

Gotta add Ormonde Jayne.  Absolutely wonderful fragrances.

1

It seems you've hit all the big currently popular ones!

I would have expected Goutal and L'Artisan Parfumeur, maybe, but they've arguably been declining re: originality and overall niche-ness, and they're not really top-of-mind anymore, now that I think of it...

If you'd like to add a tone of "classic French elegance" to the mix (maybe appealing to an older clientèle? No idea) - there's Parfum d'Empire which is rather exceptional in terms of quality all across the range, I find, and Maison Violet and Le Galion (both long-disappeared-but-recently-resurrected French brands).

I agree with @SharkATL about Ormonde Jayne, I do think they're qualitative and elegant fragrances, but their 10-new-scents-a-year strategy as of late made me lose interest, personally, I can't keep track anymore.

In terms of diversity, maybe a brand like Hiram Green could complete the offer? The "all-natural", "cruelty-free", "öko -limited-impact" can interest a specific part of the public? Especially that, for me, they still feel "polished", where all-natural can smell a bit "raw" (for obvious, lack-of-chemical-veneer reasons). Moon Bloom, eg, is really a great tuberose soliflore, I'd say.

1

Personally I think brands that are missing are probably Initio, Chanel & Widian. All very great fragrance houses that put out stuff for any age group or gender. Every fragrance collector should have at least one scent each of those brands. Chanel for example has been producing scents for over a century for a reason! 

2
AfterHours

Personally I think brands that are missing are probably Initio, Chanel & Widian. All very great fragrance houses that put out stuff for any age group or gender. Every fragrance collector should have at least one scent each of those brands. Chanel for example has been producing scents for over a century for a reason! 

@AfterHours: unfortunately, Chanel doesn't allow independent retailers to carry their range. The exclusives are only in Chanel boutiques and Chanel--owned corners in department stores, and the permanent range is limited to big chains like Douglas&co. It's hard to get everything in one same spot! 

2
AfterHours

Personally I think brands that are missing are probably Initio, Chanel & Widian. All very great fragrance houses that put out stuff for any age group or gender. Every fragrance collector should have at least one scent each of those brands. Chanel for example has been producing scents for over a century for a reason! 

Seconding Initio, just tested Narcotic Delight today and it’s intoxicating. 

5

Remove: Montale (subpar perfumes and a shady company)

Missing: Nicolaï and L’Artisan

4

I would remove Montale for the same reason as @BraveApollo and also Mancera (same as Montale).

I would also remove Tom Ford because you can find them in any department store.

And I would add Parfums d'Empire, l'Artisan Parfumeur, Profumum Roma, l'Atelier des Ors, Liquides Imaginaires, Meo Fuscuni, Le Galion and the Merchant of Venice.

3
I would add Matière Première, Sora Dora, M. Micallef, Dusita, Stéphane Humbert Lucas, Giardini di Toscana, DS & Durga, Jusbox, Kajal, Mizensir, Sospiro, Room 1015, Les Indémodables, Atelier des Ors, Tiziana Terenzi. I would keep Mancera/Montale because they are very popular (affordable beginner niche).
1

This was super helpful, thank you all. 🙏

1
BraveApollo

Remove: Montale (subpar perfumes and a shady company)

Missing: Nicolaï and L’Artisan

Totally agree with @BraveAppolo (+removing Mancera and Tom Ford also)

Maybe also missing d'Orsay? A.N. Other ? Ineke Ruhland?

Wishing you a successful launch!

0

Please consider Dunhill. Boy does their signature collection smell good!

Check out the reviews of Moroccan Amber, Egyptian Smoke and Agarwood.

0

Sorry if there are repeats from other responses. I only compared to the list in the original post. Essential? I don't know. On the other hand, if you only stock well known niches, is it possible to differentiate from other online perfume shops? Also, I'm with @DRKSHDW - I'd keep Mancera/Montale for the gap they fill. Tom Ford?? Can't say. I've never been a Tom Ford fan, so won't comment.

Quality designers - that would open a Pandora's box - there would be heated discussions on which ones to include. I've included a list of some of my favorites, some big some not so big. 

Also, I'd suggest you start a new thread on things people don't like about online perfume store websites - from a usability standpoint.  Some of these websites seem to have been designed and coded by a junior high school student - they do things or don't do things that are so annoying.

Designer/big names: Cartier, Chopard, Dior, Guerlain, Hermes, Houbigant, Lalique

Niche: Acqua dell Elba, Arquiste, Beaufort London, Carner Barcelona, Caswell Massey, Castle Forbes, Floris, Geo. F. Trumper, Gritti, Guy Fox, Hawthorne, Hunq, Jeffrey Dame, Jeroboam, Jovoy, Laurent Mazzone, M. Micallef, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, Marlou, Masque Milano, Matierre Premiere, Mazzolari, Meo Fusciuni, Nicheend, Nicolai Parfumeur Createur, O Boticario, Pantheon Roma, Piper & Perro, Profumum Roma, Rogue Perfumery, Rubini, Sospiro, Sphinx, The Merchant of Venice, Theodoros Kalotinis, The Woods Collection, Tiziana Terenzi, Unique'e Luxury, Vertus, Zoologist

1

I would leave out Mancera and Montale to maintain the quality. Those are so far away from other niche houses. 

Frederic Malle is a big mystery since I'm sure that they will reformulate a lot their perfumes in the near future and the reputation has already going downwards because L'Oreal bought it. On the other hand many of niche stores don't sell it anymore because it's under L'Oreal so there is a chance that people are trying to find them. That house was amazing and I'm scared what's going to happen with it. I'm scared on behalf of Amouage and Roja as well. 

I would consider 

- Les Liquides Imaginaires (uniqueness, quality, not so expensive)

- Les Parfums de Rosine (totally underrated house which has a great history, scents are built around roses, affordable good quality scents, my advice is only 100ml since the pricing of 50ml is not so much cheaper)

- Pantheon Roma (a raising star)

- Eila (unknown perfume house from Turkey established on 2022 and they have a wide range of amazing perfumes)

- Nïcolai (unique style, affordable prices and they have 30ml as well in the production)

- Atelier des Ors (beautiful, rich, unique blends and totally unique bottles)

- Dusita (very unique style as well, one brand which use natural flowers and plants in a very attractive and unisex way)

This is a very difficult task nowadays since there are hundreds (even thousands) of  houses and all the time is coming more. I think what matters is the quality.

0

Filippo Sorcinelli 

1

Might be a little too niche, but there are some Japanese brands that try to make fragrances in the image of various fictional characters: Primaniacs and MyFav, to name just two.

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