Fragrances (both fine fragrance and scented personal care) maintain popularity not just for their aromatic qualities, but for a range of emotional, psychological, and skin health benefits they provide. The market is seeing steady use of fragrances, with nearly half of US adults applying fragrance daily, indicating stable demand across various price tiers. The digital space plays an important role in fragrance purchase decisions, with many consumers comfortable buying online without prior sampling. This requires robust brand digital strategies, including comprehensive product descriptions and virtual scent experiences.
In the future, Mintel expects consumers to become more discerning, seeking transparent labels, skin-health benefits, and sustainable practices from their chosen fragranced products. This requires brands to adapt to maintain market position. As awareness and expectations grow, brands will need to offer concrete evidence of product safety and efficacy. Emphasizing clean and ethical product formulation will also be crucial, necessitating innovation and transparency from brands to foster consumer trust, even under potential financial pressures on the horizon.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Market context and drivers impact the fragrance and scented personal care industry
- Fragrance and scented personal care products spend levels
- Fragrance use/engagement by subcategories
- Fine fragrance format awareness (eg eau de parfum, eau de toilette, extrait de parfum)
- Fragranced product purchase channels: in-store purchasing habits, comfortability “blind-buying” fragrance online
- Routine fragrance habits
- Attitudes/behaviors toward sensitive skin claims in products, celebrity fragrances, fragrance concentration and consumer interest in a consumer’s personal culturally relevant ingredients, claims, positioning
- Product perceptions in relation to efficacy, “clean” and celebrity
- Fragrance beyond functionality including self-care rituals and expectations beyond scent
- Eco-friendly and ethical innovations
Fragrance use in BPC remains stable, but brands must cater to consumers' evolving needs toward skin-friendly inclusions, safety, wellness and sustainability.
Carson Kitzmiller, Senior Analyst, Beauty & Personal Care
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, the fragrances market has been defined as follows:
- Men’s fragrances – cologne, body spray
- Women’s fragrances – perfume, body spray
“Perfume” is used as a general description to include all fine fragrance formats, such as parfum, eau de parfum and eau de toilette. Body sprays are not traditionally thought of as fine fragrance, but their popularity in the market has led to their inclusion in the market size.
In addition to fine fragrances and body sprays, this Report will also cover the role of fragrance in personal care items, such as body wash, body lotion and scented hair products.
Excluded from this Report:
- Home scents, including sprays and candles
- Car air fresheners
- Facial skincare
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
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Market Dynamics
- Market context
- The US expanded by 3% in Q2 2024
- Graph 1: quarterly real GDP growth, 2020-24
- Consumer sentiment rebounds after a number of months on the slide
- Graph 2: consumer sentiment index, 2022-24
- Over 40% of consumers have seen their financial situations change for the better in the past year
- Graph 3: change in financial situation over the past 12 months, 2024
- Households' outlooks on their personal finances remains bullish
- Graph 4: opinions on financial future, 2024
- Graph 5: income growth in the past 12 months, by financial outlook, 2024
- Market drivers
- US: fine fragrance NPD grows across pricing tiers
- Graph 6: fragrance product launches, by beauty price positioning, 2018-24
- Consistency of usage suggests stable purchase cycles
- Graph 7: application of fragrance*, 2024
- Fragrance use across BPC is widespread
- Graph 8: select fragranced product use (NET), 2024
- Young adults go beyond smelling "good"
- US regulations point towards greater ingredient transparency in the fragrance market
- More to come on the potential impacts of RFK Jr.'s leadership on health and beauty regulations
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Innovation and Marketing strategies
- Neo-nostalgia
- Go back to basics by reinventing old classics
- Revive heritage brands with a modern twist
- Best sellers go alcohol-free
- Drive wellbeing with sensorial experiences
- Neuroscents: connecting fragrance and wellness
- Gender-neutral fragrances align with personalized self-expression
- Expand trust of dupes with originals
- Dupe-specific brands widespread
- Step into the future with AI
- Infusing fragrance in new places: Crocs x Bath & Body Works
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Spend on last purchase: fragrance-focused product and scented personal care
- Even some lower income households purchasing premium fragrance
- Graph 9: spend on last fragrance purchase, by household income, 2024
- Under 45s more likely to spend $40+
- Graph 10: spend on last fragrance purchase, by age, 2024
- Consider consumer exposure to a range of price points
- Graph 11: spend on last scented personal care product, by household income, 2024
- Rethink fragrance formats for all wallets
- Awareness of fragrance-specific formats
- Most know traditional fragrance formats
- Graph 12: awareness of select fragranced product concentrates, by gender and age, 2024
- Connect fragrance formats to concentration awareness and long-lasting attributes
- Graph 13: awareness of fragrance concentration formats, by latest spend on fragrance product, 2024
- Fragrance use by subcategory
- Scent is a foundational attribute across BPC
- Graph 14: fragrance use by subcategory, 2024
- Givaudan focuses on fragrance 'bloom' experience in shower rituals
- Cologne and perfume use indicates a healthy fragrance market
- Graph 15: using cologne because of the fragrance, by select generation and gender, 2024
- Graph 16: using perfume because of their fragrance, by select generation and gender, 2024
- Build a case for both fine fragrance and body sprays to be in fragrance wardrobes
- Graph 17: usage of body spray/mists, by gender and generation, 2024
- Provide skin-friendly fragrance in a multifunctional mist
- Leverage fragrance as a selling point
- Graph 18: usage of any scented personal care products (NET), by age, 2024
- Tap into popular fragrance universes through seasonal and trending formats
- Lead fragrance-free offerings with value-additive sensitive skin support
- Graph 19: used select products because they were fragrance-free, by generation, 2024
- Fragrance-free offerings allude to gentle, everyday usage categories
- Fragrance purchase channel & online fragrance discovery
- Despite online growth, physical retail still the preference
- Graph 20: fragranced product purchase channel experiences, by generation and gender, 2024
- Use the home as a sanctuary for fragrance discovery
- People of color more likely to purchase fragranced product online
- Graph 21: purchased a fragranced product online that they've never smelled before, by select race or ethnicity, 2024
- Social media influence goes hand-in-hand with online purchasing
- Graph 22: social media influence on fragrance purchase, by select race or ethnicity, 2024
- Replenishment pipeline strong among current online strategies
- Graph 23: online fragrance discovery repurchase or dislike, by gender and age, 2024
- Don't forget about ingredient research beyond scent
- Graph 24: researching ingredients in fragrance products before purchasing, by generation, 2024
- Offer "dupe" alternatives no matter the spend
- Prioritize sampling strategies whether free or paid
- Graph 25: fragrance samples online before committing to full purchase, by select gender and age, 2024
- Viktor&Rolf connect scent and sound to help consumers "sample" online
- Behaviors toward fragrance
- A majority of consumers integrate fragrance into everyday routines
- Graph 26: fragrance wear behaviors, by gender and age, 2024
- Purchasing trial sizes are an important trial strategy across all incomes
- Graph 27: purchasing travel/trial if have not experienced fragrance before, by household income, 2024
- Fragrance concentration is an important selling point
- Connect lasting power and concentration to occasion-based marketing
- Graph 28: awareness of fragrance concentration levels correlated to long-lasting attributes, by age, 2024
- Point consumers toward application education to build efficacy trust
- Be intentional with culturally relevant storytelling
- Graph 29: culture playing a role in fragrance preferences, by select race or ethnicity, 2024
- Seek inspiration from brands leveraging their local heritage
- Cast a wide net with 'sensitive skin' support
- Graph 30: interest in fragrances that are safe for sensitive skin, by age, 2024
- Consider fragrance choice for the whole family
- Graph 31: safety attitudes, by gender and parental status, 2024
- Product perceptions
- Access feelings of luxury through purchase and wear
- Graph 32: fragrance as an affordable luxury, by household income, 2024
- Treat "clean" fragrance like "clean" skincare
- Graph 33: "clean" fragrance and ingredient perceptions, by age, 2024
- The new wave of 'clean' fragrance brands highlight ingredient safety
- Go beyond celebrity to prove next-level fragrance benefits
- Graph 34: designer and celebrity fragrance perceptions, by select race or ethnicity, 2024
- Lean into occasion-based use: body sprays for everyday, perfumes for occasion
- Graph 35: body sprays/mists efficacy perceptions, by gender and generation, 2024
- Fragrance beyond functionality
- Fragrance fits into personal identities and self-care
- Graph 36: fragrance beyond functionality attitudes, by gender and age, 2024
- Brands position "base notes" as personalized and 'signature'
- Position reapplication needs as intentional self-care moments
- Educate on how to best layer for scent and lasting power
- Graph 37: layering fragrance products, by gender and age, 2024
- Scent 'pairing' and 'layering' can play into personalization and DIY desires
- Build collections through a 'fragrance wardrobe'
- Graph 38: collection of 5+ fragrance products at home, by financial situation, 2024
- Stay abreast of AI's capabilities in the fragrance space
- Graph 39: personalized fragrance with the support of AI, by generation, 2024
- Eco-friendly + ethical Innovations
- Make way for sensitive skin-positioned formats
- Graph 40: interest and preferences in alcohol-free and water-based fragrance products, by generation, 2024
- Scented waters offer a gentle luxury fragrance for babies and children
- Keep consumer mindset at the forefront of ethical positionings
- Graph 41: interest in ethically-produced ingredients in fragranced products, Gen Z by gender, 2024
- Introduce a less-is-more approach to sustainability
- Awareness and transparency grows around ethicality
- Be prepared for biotech beauty
- Graph 42: biotechnology and synthetic ingredient attitudes, by gender and age, 2024
- Connect quality, safety and sustainability in 'safe synthetics'
- Graph 43: biotechnology and synthetic ingredient attitudes, by gender and age, 2024
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Appendix
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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