The men’s fragrance market is far from being negligible in France. By way of comparison, the value of this segment is practically two times lower in the United Kingdom over the same period (116 million euros). As already noted by The NPD Group in the United States, there is a growing interest on the part of French male consumers for higher concentrated essences and launches on this segment have multiplied.
While less concentrated eaux de toilette (toilet waters) remain the most coveted category for men, accounting for two-thirds of global sales, the study shows a growing interest in more concentrated, and therefore more intense, perfumes.
Sales of men’s eaux de parfum - which are more intense than toilet waters - rose by 28% between January and May 2019, representing a value of 50 million euros. Even more concentrated, extracts have seen their sales level to double compared to the same period in 2018. And prices, much higher for the most intense categories (74 euros on average for an eau de parfum, 94 euros for an extract, compared to 65 euros on average for all men’s fragrances) do not seem to be a key factor for French male consumers.
"Price does not seem to hamper the interest of consumers looking for more intense and longer-lasting formulas. This enthusiasm for more concentrated fragrances within the men’s fragrance category brings back value and participates in the upscaling of the category", explains Mathilde Lion, expert beauty Europe at The NPD Group.
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Top 5 men’s perfume launches - January to May 2019 (in alphabetical order) – Terre D’Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver |
"Just look at the top 5 men’s fragrance launches at the end of May 2019, it’s enough to understand the extent of the phenomenon: for the first time all of the 5 best new launches are eaux de parfums," concludes Mathilde Lion.
