BURGINS is a York landmark, nestled at the top of Coney Street, just a perfume spray away from the historic Mansion House.

“Burgins’ Corner” has been a meeting point for generations, dating back to when the shop first opened as Mark F Burgin’s pharmacy in 1880.

The Wrights took over in 1934, and it was Jeremy Wright who changed Burgins into a perfumery in 1972, selling what he described as “sex and snobbery” to the people of York.

June Yeo took over the business 12 years ago and is continuing that tradition, stocking more than 1,200 fragrances. “That’s more than Harvey Nichols”, says June. “And we sell more.”

The fragrance market has expanded exponentially in recent years, with launches following the seasons, mirroring the fashion industry, and every celebrity and their designer dog seemingly cashing in for a pay (or should that be spray) day.

Despite these changes, the essence of the business – and why people buy perfume – remains unchanged, believes June. “Mr Wright had a saying that he sold ‘sex and snobbery’ and it’s true. Some people don’t want it if it’s not French; others want designer names.

“It’s about sex too. A man buys fragrance for a woman because he wants his lady to smell sexy. And vice versa.”

Burgins is reassuringly old fashioned, with a décor that looks unchanged for decades. Wooden shelves line the walls from floor to ceiling, teeming with glass bottles and colourful boxes and tempting gift sets.

Burgins may look dated, but it’s not out of date. This year alone, the compact interior has had to make room for 80 new arrivals – everything from the latest Marc Jacobs for women to Diesel for men.

While June predicts the classics such as Chanel No5 and Issey Miyake Pour Homme will be the top sellers again this Christmas, hot on their heels will be the new releases, out for the lucrative festive market.

For women, June predicts great things for Rose The One by Dolce & Gabbana (no doubt helped by an advertising campaign featuring Scarlett Johansson), as well as Lola by Marc Jacobs (worth buying for the fabulous bottle designed in the shape of a flower alone) and Boss Orange.

For men, Gucci Pour Homme, Dolce &Gabbana’s The One and Diesel’s Only The Brave will be flying off the shelves, says June.

Part of the real treasure of Burgins is its breadth of stock. If you want to track down a perfume you used to wear as a teenager, or one that reminds you of your mum or gran, Burgins should be your first port of call.

June assembles a line of some of the golden oldies in store, beginning with Soir De Paris, first made by Bourjois in 1928. It’s floral, but in an old fashioned, face powder way that I associate with grannies. Next, we try Mitsouko, Guerlain’s gem dating back to 1919. It’s a woody classic and the gold medal winner of its kind. Within minutes of June telling me about Royal Secret, which was made especially for Princess Grace when she got married, a customer comes in and asks for a Royal Secret box set. June pops downstairs to a store room to oblige.

While some scents are discontinued – or impossible to obtain because of distribution limitations – quite a few old favourites are being resurrected.

A perfect example is a trio from Grossmith of London, the fine fragrance house dating from 1808 which stopped production 30 years ago. “The great, great grandson has just relaunched three Grossmith fragrances this month. We are only one of two shops in this part of Yorkshire to sell them.”

The Grossmith fragrances are the essence of exotica. Phul Nana was created in 1891 and combines notes from the flower and herb garden. It paved the way for oriental fragrances. Hasu-No-Hana (literally, scent of Japanese Lotus Lily) dates from even earlier: 1888; while Shem-el-Nessim is soft and powdery and reflects the Edwardian era from when it was created in 1906. As you might expect, exclusivity comes at a price and Grossmith scents start at £95 per bottle.

Yes, people will and do pay that much for scent. Just 15mls of Chanel No5 will set you back £112 at Burgins – but 15mls of Joy by Patou costs considerably more at £160.

Of course, there are fragrances to meet all finances – and you can pick up plenty of bottles for under £30.

Provided you make the right choice, a bottle of fragrance makes the ideal Christmas gift. To avoid costly errors – and disappointment on Christmas morning – June has some sound advice for shoppers.

“If a man is buying for a woman, find out what she wears or what she likes. Also, a lot of men come in saying they want perfume, but 90 per cent of women prefer eau de parfum or eau de toilette.

“Ladies come in asking for aftershave, but mostly men want an eau de toilette, especially young lads.”

If you are looking for something new, staff are trained to suggest other fragrances that are of a similar type to your favourite.

Indeed, June says that having a few perfumes in your bathroom cupboard is the best policy.

“If you just stick to one fragrance and wear it every day your nose gets used to the smell,” says June. “You should at least have two so that you can smell it yourself – after all, it is for your benefit.”