1 October 2024
Why men’s fragrances are outpacing growth in women’s
WWD
Fragrance is prestige beauty’s fastest growing category and men are leading the charge.
The category, which has posted 11 percent gains year-to-date as of August, per Circana, is reaping the rewards of heightened interest from male consumers. Men’s fragrances, which comprise a third of the business overall, grew 15 percent for that time period, driven by juices and higher-priced items.
Ancillaries and body sprays, which are booming for women, don’t have the same traction with male consumers. Instead, luxe juices are what’s trending. “Men’s is a totally different dynamic from women’s fragrances,” said Larissa Jensen, beauty industry advisor at Circana. “It’s driven by a higher price point and higher concentrations, and designer brands make up 72 percent of the market.”
Case in point, Dior Sauvage is the U.S.’ top fragrance in the prestige market, as reported, and has been for two years. Per the same reporting, Bleu de Chanel, Valentino Born in Roma Uomo and Yves Saint Laurent Beauté’s Myslf are also top 10 fragrances, with the latter being the greatest share gainer in the category overall.