Indulgence prompts Americans to use fragrances, says report

Indulgence seems to be prompting Americans to use fragrances, finds a new survey by UK-based research firm Canadean Health & Beauty.

According to the report ‘Consumer Trends in the Fragrance Market in the US, 2011’, the trend towards indulgence was cited by nearly 39% Americans as the most influencing factor behind their overall consumption of fragrances.

Experience seeking trend closely follows indulgence with 38.5% people citing its impact followed by the trend of new gender behaviors at 36.4% of them referring to it.

While indulgence continued to be the major influencing trend in female fragrances, new gender behaviours topped male segment and experience seeking driving unisex segment.

In terms of market value, female fragrances outpaced other fragrances in the US market during 2011 accounting for about 59%, followed by male fragrances at 38% and unisex fragrances at the bottom with the remaining share.

Male fragrances, however, led the market in volume terms showing a slight edge over female fragrances which represented 49.4% and 47% respectively, the survey revealed.

Older Americans, of aged above 55, are using more fragrances compared to other age groups, who held a leading share of 21.5% during 2011 with next being pre-mid-lifers at 16.6%.

Undergraduate Americans showed an edge over the other educated groups by accounting for the leading share of 28.3%, followed by those having higher education at 23.6%.

In 2011, the affluent fraternity led the market with 28.4%, closely followed by the moderate income families with about 25% value share, said Canadean.

Interestingly, Americans struggling with poor leisure time managed the highest share at more than 30%. Time rich people, however, stood next with 27.3%.

During the year under review, the fragrances industry in the US exhibited a clear domination from branded category. Private label products failed to touch two-digit percentage share in any of the segments.

Click here for more details of the report.