How House Of EM5 Is Repackaging The Affordable Luxury Fragrance Market

Having a taste for quality fragrances comes at a cost, and Shashank Chourey, a longtime fragrance enthusiast, knows it best.

Tired of paying a 20-30 times premium for brand names, Chourey finally decided to hunt down a perfumery that offered exceptional quality fragrances at a fair price. However, the only thing he found was that such brands did not exist.

This led to a realisation of a persisting gap in the global fragrance market, and Chourey decided to tap into this opportunity by launching his affordable luxury fragrance brand, House Of EM5.

Making Quality Perfumes Accessible

Founded in 2022, House Of EM5 is trying to make a world-class perfumery experience accessible to those who appreciate fine craftsmanship without overpaying for branding and exclusivity. The brand prioritises luxury formulations at honest pricing, ensuring that premium fragrances are no longer out of reach for Indian consumers.

As a digital-first brand, the company receives 65% of its orders from its website, while the remaining come from Amazon (25%) and other digital marketplaces (10%). The company has also expanded to quick commerce on platforms such as Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart, expecting it to drive revenue by nearly 30%.

To deepen its reach, House Of EM5 has implemented an experiential marketing model at airports, offering free sampling to introduce the brand to new customers. The company is creating a distinct positioning in an already crowded D2C fragrance market with unique compositions and sophisticated scents, rather than relying on generic, mass-market fragrances.

Unique Storytelling Drives 4X Growth In Revenues

House Of EM5 partners with premium office spaces, fitness centres, and other high-footfall locations to expand its sampling initiatives, taking the brand to new customers through offline experiential marketing.

Its revenues for FY24 surged to INR 7.08 Cr from INR 1.43 Cr in FY23, marking a 4X growth in just a year.

The core driver of this growth has been the brand’s strategic approach to content marketing and customer education through unique storytelling. Rather than just selling perfumes, House Of EM5 crafts a sensory experience for customers, using digital content, product education, and scent narratives to drive deeper engagement.

What Lies Ahead For House Of EM5

In the long term, the D2C fragrance brand is working to establish a stronger presence in select retail and experiential spaces to improve brand visibility and engagement. The company is also exploring partnerships with boutique perfumeries to make its products available in physical stores, catering to a growing base of discerning fragrance lovers.

Additionally, House Of EM5 plans to launch exclusive collections to maintain brand uniqueness and further carve its niche in the market. With a strong growth trajectory, the brand is projected to close FY25 at INR 20 Cr, cementing its position in India’s premium D2C fragrance space.

[Authored By Anirudh Trivedi]