US Female Consumers Prefer to Spend on Well-Tested Perfumes {Fragrance News}

According to an October 8th 2008 market research of the NPD Group, the tendency, already seen last year, for US women to turn to the classic or the familiar when it came to buying perfume is showing no signs of abating. The current economic context is probably going to support further developing of this trend. But according to that report, US women are nevertheless still interested in perfuming themselves, more so than last year for the same period and more so than men this year, unless the latter are using different strategies for scenting themselves than can be tracked down by consumer spending in the mainstream channels like the beauty prestige one... "Prestige fragrances in the U.S. posted a decline of three percent for the first six months. Women's prestige fragrances declined one percent and men's prestige fragrances were down six percent for the first half of 2008. However, fragrances posted a two percent increase during the second quarter vs. the same quarter last year. That growth was driven primarily by women's fragrances, which were up four percent for the second quarter.

"The second quarter performance for Women's prestige fragrances in the U.S. is one of the best  we have seen for this category in years.  In fact, this is the first year that men's fragrances have underperformed the women's market. The increases in women's fragrances  are being driven by fragrances that have been on the market more than one year," said Grant. "The importance of classics cannot be overstated. As important as new fragrances are to the market, we continue to see the appeal of classics. More than half of women who are purchasing for themselves are 'buying a fragrance they once owned', replenishing their favorites," said Grant."

Read more...