Premium Fragrance Gains Ground Among Gen Z, With 74% Willing To Spend £100+

With 74% of surveyed respondents saying they would be willing to spend £100 or more on a single fragrance, according to new research from sampling platform SoPost and student discount provider UNiDAYS.

The finding comes from the companies’ ‘Think You Know Gen Z?’ playbook, which examines how Gen Z consumers discover, evaluate and purchase products.

The research draws on cumulative data from more than 200,000 Sample Society respondents, based on post-trial feedback and surveys conducted between October 2024 and September 2026.

Sample Society is a product-sampling community created by SoPost and UNiDAYS, with more than 440,000 members across the UK, US and Germany.

The research suggests fragrance plays a significant role in respondents’ daily routines. Among surveyed Sample Society members, 87% said they wear fragrance every day, compared with 49% who said they wear make-up daily.

It also highlights a high level of brand exploration among Gen Z consumers. Some 45% of Gen Z Sample Society members said they try a new brand every two to three months, indicating regular opportunities for brands to engage with consumers who are actively exploring new products.

Peer-review videos were also identified as an important influence on purchasing decisions, with 43% of respondents ranking them as their primary influence.

Jonathan Grubin, founder and CEO of SoPost, who spoke at TheIndustry.beauty Summit last week, said: “Gen Z gets labelled as price-conscious, but that doesn’t mean they won’t spend.

“What’s interesting when you look at the wider data is how open they are to new brands, and how much other consumers influence what they choose. If they’re willing to try you, they’re willing to try someone else too.

“For beauty brands, simply getting in front of Gen Z isn’t enough. The opportunity is to reach the consumers your product is genuinely relevant to, give them an experience worth choosing, and ultimately something worth talking about afterwards.”

Grubin suggests fragrance is one category where product sampling can provide an opportunity for consumers to experience a product before purchasing. While advertising, creator content and product descriptions can introduce consumers to a scent, sampling allows them to experience its fragrance directly.

According to the research, product trials can also lead to reviews, recommendations and consumer-generated content, providing additional perspectives for shoppers considering a purchase.

Jessica Hewitt, Global Head of Beauty & Wellness at UNiDAYS, said brands should avoid treating Gen Z as a single, homogenous audience.

She highlighted Gen Z consumers’ interest in engaging with brands, personalised product trials and spending more when they perceive a product to offer sufficient value.

“For beauty brands, the real opportunity lies in the feedback they share through reviews. Brands can use this feedback to understand what matters to each consumer and build relationships that go beyond a single purchase,” Hewitt said.