How Fragrance Drives Christmas Sales

Walk into a store filled with the scent of cinnamon, orange peel, and pine, and you immediately feel the warmth and anticipation of Christmas. The smell isn’t just pleasant; it’s a subtle driver of emotion, memory, and desire — all of which influence buying behaviour. For retailers, understanding how fragrance shapes shopping experiences can transform the festive season from good to exceptional. Fragrance-based gifts are not just products to sell — they are tools that enhance the customer journey and boost seasonal sales.

Scent and Shopping Psychology

Scent has a unique ability to influence human behaviour. Studies indicate that approximately 75% of emotions generated each day are influenced by smell. In a retail context, this translates into longer dwell times, increased impulse purchases, and higher perceived value of products. Research shows that stores employing scent strategically can see dwell times increase by up to 30% and sales lift by 10–20%. During the festive season, scents like clove, vanilla, pine, and cinnamon trigger nostalgic memories and create a cosy, inviting atmosphere.

The emotional pull of scent can be leveraged in several ways. Ambient fragrance makes the shopping environment feel welcoming, encouraging customers to linger and explore products. For instance, diffusing subtle festive aromas with Christmas Room Sprays allows retailers to create an immersive experience. Customers can enjoy the scent in-store and then take it home as a ready-to-gift option, bridging the in-store experience with at-home enjoyment.

Furthermore, scent can act as a cognitive cue for memory recall. When shoppers encounter familiar festive smells, it sparks emotions and encourages purchases aligned with those feelings. Products like bath bombs or soaps that carry similar scents reinforce the sensory experience and strengthen emotional engagement. By aligning the products with the store’s ambient fragrance, retailers create cohesive storytelling that resonates with shoppers.

UK Christmas Market Insights

The UK Christmas market remains a significant opportunity for retailers, with consumers expected to spend approximately £22.7 billion on gifts and celebrations in 2025. Of this, a substantial portion is dedicated to fragrance and self-care products, which have seen consistent growth in recent years. In 2024, fragrance gift sets in the UK grew by around 20% year-on-year, highlighting the increasing consumer appetite for indulgent, affordable luxury items.

Consumers are seeking high perceived value without premium pricing. Gift sets priced between £15–£30 dominate sales charts, as they balance affordability with indulgence. This trend extends to a variety of fragrance-based gifts, including bath bombs, soaps, and home fragrance products. A bath bomb gift set provides an accessible yet luxurious option for self-care gifting, while whipped soap offer a tactile, indulgent experience.

Home fragrance is also on the rise. Room sprays, candles, and diffusers are increasingly popular as consumers invest in creating cosy, scented environments for their homes. Retailers can capitalise on this trend by stocking complementary fragrance items, ensuring they cover both personal care and home fragrance categories. For example, a shopper purchasing a room spray may be inclined to also buy a matching bath bomb or soap, particularly when displayed together in a themed gift section.

Additionally, novelty items and wellness-oriented gifts continue to appeal to younger demographics seeking fun, shareable experiences. Products like the chill pills provide a playful twist on self-care and make excellent stocking fillers, appealing to impulse buyers at checkouts.

Types of Fragrance-Based Gifts Retailers Should Stock

During the festive season, fragrance-based gifts are among the most appealing categories for shoppers, offering both sensory delight and emotional resonance. You can maximise sales by understanding the main product types and the fragrances that customers are most likely to seek.

1. Room Sprays and Home Fragrance

Room sprays, fragrance oils, diffusers, and scented candles are popular for both personal use and gifting. Customers are drawn to products that transform the home environment and create a festive ambiance. In the UK market, spicy and woody scents like cinnamon, clove, pine, and cedarwood consistently perform well, while sweet or gourmand fragrances such as vanilla, mulled wine, and gingerbread are particularly appealing during Christmas. Retailers can also offer lighter citrus and fruity fragrances (orange, cranberry, apple) for shoppers seeking fresher or less traditional festive scents.

2. Bath Bombs and Bath Gift Sets

Bath bombs provide a sensory experience through both scent and visual appeal. Warm and comforting fragrances — such as vanilla, amber, and sandalwood — are often top sellers in this category, as are seasonal blends like cinnamon-spice, peppermint, or mulled wine. Fruity notes, like cranberry or orange zest, can add a playful twist, especially in smaller gift sets or stocking fillers. Bundling bath bombs in sets with complementary fragrances creates a luxurious experience and encourages multiple purchases.

3. Soaps and Body Care

Textured, whipped soaps and other body care items combine tactile enjoyment with fragrance, making them highly desirable for gift-giving. Seasonal scents like gingerbread, spiced apple, or warm vanilla resonate well with customers looking for indulgent, cosy experiences. Floral fragrances such as rose or freesia, especially when paired with subtle winter spices, can add a premium touch and attract shoppers seeking a more refined gift.

4. Novelty and Relaxation Items

Small, fragrance-based novelty gifts and relaxation products are ideal for impulse buys and stocking fillers. Popular scents in this segment often mirror classic festive fragrances — cinnamon, peppermint, pine, and vanilla — which evoke holiday nostalgia. You can also experiment with herbal or wellness-inspired scents like lavender, chamomile, or eucalyptus, appealing to customers looking for relaxation-focused gifting options.

Tips for Retailers:

Balance classic and contemporary fragrances: While cinnamon, vanilla, and pine are timeless, adding modern twists like cranberry-mint, ginger-orange, or spiced amber can attract younger or trend-conscious shoppers.
Offer multi-scent options: Bundling products with complementary fragrances allows customers to mix and match for a personalized gift experience.
Consider intensity and packaging: Stronger, long-lasting fragrances often sell well for home-use products, while lighter, playful scents perform better for smaller or novelty gifts.

By stocking a variety of product types and fragrances that align with seasonal expectations, you can appeal to a broad audience, from traditional shoppers to younger, experience-driven consumers. The key is to create a cohesive sensory story that draws customers in and encourages them to explore multiple products.

Merchandising and Marketing Strategy

Effectively merchandising fragrance-based products is as important as selecting the right items. Several strategies can help you maximise impact:

In-store Scenting: Diffuse fragrances that match the products on display. Customers will associate the pleasant scent with the products, increasing the likelihood of purchase.
Tester Stations: Allow customers to experience bath bombs, soaps, and room sprays first-hand. Engaging the senses strengthens emotional connections and encourages impulse buys.
Fragrance-Themed Groupings: Organise products by scent profile — citrus, spicy, woody, or sweet — to guide shoppers toward complementary purchases.
Gift Bundles: Combining products into cohesive sets creates higher perceived value and simplifies gifting decisions. Example: pairing a bath bomb set with a whipped soap and room spray.
Point-of-Sale Placement: Use smaller scented items, such as the fragrance oils and chill pills, as impulse purchases at checkout.
Online Marketing: Since scent cannot be experienced online, use evocative descriptions, detailed images, and storytelling to convey fragrance. Highlight how products create memorable experiences and capture the essence of Christmas.

The Emotional and Experiential Value of Fragrance

From a retail perspective, fragrance allows stores to offer an experience rather than just a product. This experience can be layered: the aroma of a room spray or candle in-store, the visual appeal of beautifully packaged bath bombs, and the tactile sensation of whipped soaps together create a multi-sensory journey for the customer. Shoppers are not merely buying items; they are buying the memory, mood, or feeling associated with them. This is why gifts with well-chosen scents often feel more thoughtful and luxurious, increasing perceived value without necessarily raising the price point.

You can leverage this emotional power strategically. Creating themed fragrance zones, such as a “Winter Wellness Corner” or a “Festive Home Escape” section, allows customers to immerse themselves in a particular sensory story. Bundling products that share a common scent profile reinforces this narrative, encouraging multiple purchases and higher basket values. Even small items, like novelty scented gifts or impulse buys, can benefit from emotional storytelling. A product scented with gingerbread or peppermint doesn’t just smell nice—it evokes nostalgia, warmth, and a sense of festive joy.

Moreover, fragrance-driven experiences extend beyond the store. Consumers often associate the scent of a gift with the giver, creating lasting emotional ties. By stocking and merchandising fragrance-based gifts thoughtfully, retailers can offer customers the opportunity to give not just a physical product, but a memorable experience. The key lies in curating a cohesive, sensory-rich environment where fragrance, visuals, and touch all work together to make shopping an immersive, emotionally rewarding experience.