The Effect of Niche Perfume Selection Attributes on the Consume Happiness: The Moderating Effect of Generation through Multi-Group Analysis

Niche perfume has emerged as a mainstream segment of the perfume market, moving beyond mass-market offerings by reflecting Millennials and Generation Z’s strong preference for individuality and distinctive scent identities. This study aims to analyze the effects of niche perfume selection attributes on consumer happiness. In addition, Millennials and Generation Z are proposed as a moderator affecting the niche perfume selection attributes on consumer happiness. An online survey targeted Korean women from Millennials and Generation Z who have experience using niche perfume. A total of 296 survey responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling with AMOS 26.0 and SPSS 25.0. The results revealed that four key selection attributes emerged from the analysis: trend orientation, brand awareness, premium price perception, and scent. In addition, scent, brand awareness, and premium price perception had significant effects on consumer happiness. Furthermore, the moderating effect of generation was confirmed through multi-group analysis. Specifically, Among Millennials, trend orientation, brand awareness, and premium price perception influenced consumer happiness, whereas scent was the most influential factor among Generation Z. By identifying these causal relationships, this study contributes to expanding the advancement of research on niche perfume and provides implications for developing differentiated strategies tailored to generational characteristics of the Millennials and Generation Z.