ger Tsz Yu Ng told Inside Retail.  The company was founded to champion niche Asian fragrance brands, particularly from China, that are “producing work of exceptional calibre, yet remain underrepresented in global conversations.” Asian scent capital Fragrance retail is still structurally shaped by legacy Western houses and their heritage narratives. For Ng, that mismatch between where history sits and where innovation is emerging has become too stark to ignore. “Ultimately, we hope to reshape what customers are encouraged to value, so a global audience can discover and value niche fragrance, expanding the idea of what prestige in modern perfumery can look like beyond traditional Western codes,” she said. Baroma gravitates toward brands with what Ng calls “specificity: real places, rituals, and materials translated into scent, with storytelling embedded in the composition.”  These are houses that offer “clear point of view, small-batch integrity, and fragrances that feel honest on skin,” rather than interchangeable mood concepts. In doing so, the company is effectively carving out a new premium segment: culturally specific, craft-forward Asian perfumery with export-ready packaging and narrative depth. Storytelling as infrastructure Where most beauty retail is anchored in product drops and seasonal campaigns, Baroma is structured more like an editorial platform with a commerce engine attached.  “Our curation is definitely intentional,” Ng said. “Each brand is a world, and each release is a chapter in depth.”  Across the full collection, the team looks for “authenticity, coherence and real provenance so storytelling isn’t just a campaign, it’s built into the materials, the scent, and the design.” Zhufu is a case in point.  “The brand centres on the motif of ‘blessing’, inspired by bamboo, carried through both scent and packaging,” Ng explains. Its compositions use pure essential oils and ingredients with true origin, “including Pu’er tea leaves from Yunnan, creating clean, grounded rituals with cultural integrity.”  That kind of narrative is wired into the product itself. This editorial mindset carries into Baroma’s day-to-day operations.  “We integrate [brands’] origins, raw materials, and founder philosophies into our editorial content, product pages, social narratives and Scent Journal articles so customers understand the ‘why,’ not just the notes,” Ng said.  For small, independent houses that lack the resources to build sophisticated brand worlds, that layer of storytelling becomes a form of shared infrastructure. Turning ritual into commerce One of the most delicate challenges in exporting Asian fragrance culture is its deep entanglement with ritual, spirituality and daily practice. Incense, temple scents and tea rituals can be laden with meaning that doesn’t translate cleanly into Western marketing language and can be reduced to cliché if handled carelessly. Ng is explicit about the risk.  “We treat these traditions as living practices, so that audiences can engage with respect and understanding,” she said. “To avoid oversimplifying, we lead with the maker’s own intent, anchor stories in specific details (raw materials, technique, design, real daily use), and avoid mystical shorthand.” When concepts resist easy translation, Baroma will “keep original terms where needed and translate with care so nuance isn’t lost.” “Our role is to bridge cultures through context and clarity, inviting curiosity and respect rather than turning ritual into trend,” Ng adds.  That stance is as much strategy as principle: By foregrounding context over aesthetic surface, Baroma is betting on slower-burning but more durable consumer relationships in a category often driven by fast cycles and fleeting hype. A growth engine for micro-brands For small independent fragrance brands, getting onto shelves is only half the problem. The harder challenge is staying visible in a market dominated by conglomerates with global advertising budgets. “Beyond distribution, we support independent brands by building visibility through storytelling, education, and consistent brand-building,” Ng said. That means turning every touchpoint, including product pages, social media and long-form editorial, into a vehicle for explaining who these founders are and why their materials and methods matter. Crucially, Baroma thinks in terms of ongoing presence rather than one-off launch spikes.  “We also create ongoing touchpoints that keep a brand present over time,” Ng said. “At Notes Shanghai 2025, for example, we interviewed multiple founders and used our platform to share their perspectives in depth, helping each unique voice reach new audiences with context and credibility.” “Ultimately,” she said, “Baroma aims to be a long-term partner in growth, not just a point of sale.” That language speaks to a broader shift in how value is created in niche retail: not only in units sold, but in narratives built and reputations earned. The economics of cultural integrity Aesthetic appeal still matters in beauty. Packaging is often the first chance to capture attention. Baroma doesn’t shy away from visual impact, but it insists that form must follow meaning.  “For Baroma, aesthetic appeal is the invitation, but cultural integrity is the foundation,” Ng said. “We’re drawn to brands with a strong visual language, yet we only curate those where the beauty is meaningful, rooted in real provenance, craft, and intent, not borrowed as decoration.” She points to Boundless, which “embodies traditional Himalayan incense-making techniques as a living practice,” and Qicunjiu, whose perfume bottles “draw specifically from 17th-century Qing dynasty glass snuff bottles, translated with care and context.”  For Ng, that is the litmus test: “If a cultural reference can be traced to method and meaning, it belongs.” Moving toward fluency The question is whether consumers are ready for this level of specificity and nuance. Ng’s answer is unequivocal.  “Yes, perceptions are shifting quickly as more consumers become culturally curious and more fluent in niche fragrance,” she said. “Asian brands are increasingly recognised as serious contemporary perfumery with distinctive craft, storytelling and design.” She is also seeing a broadening of the scent palette itself.  “We’re also seeing greater openness to notes that feel uniquely specific rather than familiar, like hawthorn in Soulvent’s Crimson Snow, or more conceptual signatures such as ink, bamboo, tea and incense,” Ng notes. “What once felt challenging now reads as character and meaning, creating real space for Asian houses to be appreciated on their own terms.” Redefining discovery in the age of algorithms Looking ahead, Baroma’s ambition extends beyond building a profitable catalogue. Ng talks about changing the way people encounter fragrance in the first place.  “We hope Baroma helps reshape discovery from trend-led browsing into a more considered, informed relationship with Asian scent culture,” she said. “We want people to develop a deeper appreciation for small-batch integrity, cultural nuance, and the remarkable craft and originality coming from independent Asian houses.” “Most of all, we hope customers learn to value fragrance as lived storytelling, where provenance, ritual, and meaning are embedded throughout the composition, not added as an afterthought.” Further reading: To Summer’s CEO on the brand’s mission to redefine Chinese fragrance.