[Edaily Reporter Kim Ji-woo] Kim (28), an office worker, is a perfume enthusiast who owns about 10 different perfumes. She chooses a scent to match her outfit and mood for the day. Recently, during an online sale, she purchased four 50ml bottles of Brand A perfume for around 30,000 won. Kim said, “I’ve used various luxury brand perfumes over the years, but since some products have been discontinued or require overseas direct purchases, I bought these to try out cost-effective alternatives with similar scent notes.”

The traditional purchasing pattern in the perfume market—where the belief that one must smell the product in person before buying was strong—is changing. While it was once common to test scents in-store before purchasing, a new trend is spreading where consumers compare fragrance notes, reviews, and brand stories online before making a selection. Consumers are searching for products based on their preferred scent families—such as floral, woody, musk, or citrus—or purchasing products with notes similar to the luxury perfumes they already use.

This shift is largely driven by the expansion of the perfume consumer base. While demand for color cosmetics declined during the COVID-19 pandemic due to mask-wearing, fragrance—though invisible—has established itself as a means of self-expression that brings personal satisfaction. Interest in perfumes that allow for self-expression is growing, particularly among consumers in their 20s and 30s. Another notable trend is the increase in male consumers. This is driven by the spread of the so-called “grooming culture,” as men show greater interest in personal grooming and self-expression.

Online channels are increasingly utilizing scent notes, reviews, and sampling services to help customers compare products.

According to the fashion platform Musinsa on the 4th, perfume sales rose 24% year-over-year last year, and from January to April of this year, they increased by 13% compared to the same period last year. During the same period, transaction volume for products tagged with the keyword “perfume” on Zigzag increased by 43% year-over-year. On Able, transaction volume in the perfume category also rose by 70%. A Musinsa representative stated, “Fragrance is a category on Musinsa Beauty that is recording high growth alongside color cosmetics.”

As the online market expands, the overall domestic perfume market is also growing. According to market research firm Euromonitor, the size of the domestic perfume market last year was estimated at approximately 1.18 trillion won. This represents a 6.7% increase from the previous year.

The retail industry is focusing on reducing the limitations of online perfume purchases, particularly the inability to smell the product. #Shinsegae V, an online platform operated by Shinsegae International, launched a “Perfume Pavilion” this month that brings together a wide range of perfume products in one place. It also introduced a “Home Scenting Service” that allows customers to receive samples of their desired perfumes by paying only the shipping fee. This allows customers to experience the samples first before deciding whether to purchase the full-size product. Additionally, the platform has introduced “AI Scenting” content that expresses scents through images and sounds.

As the online perfume market grows, the range of options is expanding. The selection has broadened to include not only high-end niche perfumes but also value-for-money alternatives to luxury brands, small-sized perfumes, and sample sets. Consumers are increasingly purchasing multiple scents at once through online events or special promotions and using them according to their daily outfits and moods.

An industry insider stated, “As perfume has established itself as a category that reflects personal taste and lifestyle, much like fashion and beauty, demand is growing for consumers to compare various brands and scents online before making a purchase.” They added, “With the emergence of sampling and curation services, the growth of the online perfume market is expected to continue.”