For the love of fragrance: Our new global research reveals what our scent choice says about us

Multimarket research on 7,000 women reveals that fragrance wardrobes are rising in popularity and price remains paramount in purchasing decisions

Globally, the fragrance industry is booming [i] and despite the growth of niche brands selling perfumes with three-figure price tags[ii], our brand new multimarket research shows that price remains a key driver when it comes to purchasing decisions. In fact, almost half of women (43%) cite price as the second most important factor after scent when purchasing a fragrance, suggesting the higher cost of living is still impacting buying decisions.

Despite the importance placed on price, presentation is still key, with a quarter of women (24%) being seduced by a beautiful bottle and packaging. This is especially important in Poland, where almost a third (31%) of women find beautiful packaging more impactful than a product’s sustainability credentials (26%).

Loved ones remain influential, with one in five women (21%) saying they would buy perfume that a family or friend had recommended, and around the same number (23%) could be swayed by the way a fragrance is described. More than two fifths (42%) say they’d be tempted by a launch from a brand that they love. In fact, in South Africa, buying from a loved brand (52%) is even more important than the price (44%).

FRAGRANCE WARDROBES ON THE RISE

While more than a quarter of women (27%) say they like having a signature scent, the greater majority (70%) enjoy a fragrance wardrobe. A quarter (25%) said that they like to have a few fragrances to choose from depending on their mood or the occasion.

Kristof Neirynck, Avon CEO says: “Affordability may be a factor in the move towards ‘fragrance wardrobes’. If perfumes are less pricey, people can afford to accrue a larger collection.

With this emerging trend on the rise, the re-launch of the Far Away range helps us to answer this demand, offering customers a range of different scents at irresistible value.

At Avon, our commitment to offering affordable fragrance remains paramount. We utilise our world-class innovation capabilities to develop award-winning, confidence boosting products. Not only are products offered at incredible value, but a lot of our Avon fragrances have tested better than luxury fragrances in blind tests, either for quality or overall preference[iii].

As the leading fragrance brand globally[iv], we remain focused on democratising beauty, ensuring our products are inclusive and available to all.”

Almost half (48%) of women say they like to experiment and create unique smell through layering fragrance. Around the same number (47%) say that they like to keep their fragrance choices a secret, so they are unique to them.

SUSTAINABILITY MATTER

The majority of women (68%) say that the sustainability credentials of a perfume affect their purchasing decisions. While overall 58% of women said that they thought it was easy to find out about a fragrance’s eco-credentials, there was a notable difference between the demographics with 63% of 18–24-year-olds claiming it was easy to get this information. This drops to just 35% of over 65s, suggesting that this information isn’t being disseminated in a way that women of all ages can easily access.

When compared to other aspects of the beauty industry, women said it was not as easy to find out about a fragrance’s sustainability credentials (58%), compared to skincare (62%), highlighting a need for brands to ensure greater transparency across their full product range.

Hernan Figoli, Givaudan Senior Perfumer says: “The innovation in Far Away Beyond the Moon uses Sandalwood Album Essence Australia Orpur ^® and ecofriendly technology to capture the scent while leaving the Belle de Nuit flower intact. We captured the scent sustainably, using Scent Trek™, a Headspace Technology that allowed us to capture the scent of the flower, without disturbing its natural habitat.

This innovative technology is a pioneering tool that can identify every single molecule, even in quantities as small as a billionth of a gram, giving us a deeper understanding of natural scents so we can replicate them in our fragrances.”

You can find the full Future of Beauty: Fragrance Report, here.

Fieldwork

Research commissioned by Avon, conducted by Censuswide. A study of 7,172 women (18+) in the following markets: UK, Italy, Poland, Turkey, South Africa, Philippines & Romania between 15.03.2024 - 19.03.2024.

[1] https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/fragrances-market-size

[1] https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/beauty/how-new-brands-tap-into-the-niche-fragrance-boom/

[1] Based on a blind sequential tests carried out between 20-27 May 2022, with at least 100 participants (male and female, aged 18+ [UK]) in each test.

[1] Avon sells the most fragrances in the world as measured by volume or units sold in 2022. Source: GlobalData