Adirondack Fragrance & Flavor Farm, a family-owned business based in New York, has been designing and crafting fragrance products for over 43 years. To grow its business further, the brand has partnered with Alibaba Group to expand into China.
The home fragrance company is preparing to launch in the market with a handful of key products on online cross-border marketplace Tmall Global.
The platform operates a Ministore Program for businesses looking to reach Chinese consumers in a fast and cost-effective way.
“Tmall Global’s ministore is the easiest and quickest way for us to export our products to China’s consumers, because we can file the import and export through Tmall directly,” said Yen Maine, CEO of Adirondack Fragrance & Flavor Farm.
The Middle Kingdom is among the fastest-growing perfume markets globally, with a 16% compound annual growth rate, according to market researcher Euromonitor International.
Watch Alizila’s interview with the Adirondack Fragrance & Flavor Farm to see how this growth extends beyond wearable scents to encompass candles, reed diffusers and other products for the home.
Below is a transcript of this video, edited for clarity and brevity
Sandy Maine: Before I started my business, I worked as a wilderness guide in the Adirondacks. I would always pick balsam fir, and I would wash my face with this balsam fir water.
I’ve always been very tuned in to nature. And I was fortunate enough to find this beautiful farm when I was very young. All you hear is the water running, the wind through the trees, and the beautiful fresh air. Really that’s where my creative spirit comes from.
My name is Sandy Maine, I am the owner of Adirondack Fragrance & Flavor Farm. I started this business in my home when I was 21. I started it because I really loved the Adirondacks and all the beautiful smells.
Our business is about taking scents from the Adirondack Mountains and putting them into products that I then share with other people.
When you light a candle, you’re changing the energy in the room, and it transports you into a different mindset.
I happen to be fortunate because my son and his wife Yen are now starting to take over my business for this next generation.
Yen Maine: When I first saw the candle, it was different from anything I’ve ever seen.
I started to light the candles in our own house. And it’s really like forest bathing in your own home.
I think the market is huge in China now as consumers’ purchasing power is increasing. They really need this kind of high-end and all-natural clean fragrance.
The Tmall Global Ministore Program gives us the flexibility to grow our business in China. I would say it’s kind of a game-changer for our business. And it’s a great way for us to explore the China market.
We can use the minimum cost to have the biggest reach to Chinese consumers. Tmall Global’s ministore is the easiest and quickest way for us to export our products to China’s consumers because we can file the import and export through Tmall directly.
We are really excited to share our balsam fir with Chinese consumers. So we are preparing three different products to launch our ministore. All of them contain balsam fir from the Adirondack forest.
Chinese consumers should know our brand because after they try our products, they can relax and enjoy nature from their cozy homes.
Sandy Maine: I’m very proud that from my little spot of the world, I can make somebody happy so far away.
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Additional reporting by Yashan Zhao
