According to a recent YouGov survey [1], nearly three in four Americans (74%) say they use perfume or fragrance — 37% regularly and another 34% occasionally. One in four (26%) say they don’t use fragrance at all. With the holiday season approaching, the market research firm set out to better understand consumers’ motivations and buying habits.

Loyal to their favorites

Among Americans who wear perfume regularly or occasionally, 45% say they tend to stick to one or two favorite scents that they repurchase. Over a third (36%) like to experiment and change what they wear regularly, while 17% say they don’t often buy perfume for themselves but may receive or give it as a gift.

Men and women show similar levels of scent loyalty, but women are slightly more likely to experiment (23% vs. 18%), whereas men are more likely to fall into the gifting category (31% vs. 26%).

Scent and price matter most

When buying perfume, the scent itself overwhelmingly leads as the top consideration, cited by 88% of users. Price and value for money follow at 62%. Far behind, brand ranks third, influencing 26% of Americans. Other factors include recommendations from friends or family (16%), seasonal suitability (16%), and packaging or design (14%). Limited-edition or exclusive releases, as well as celebrity or influencer associations, also play a role for some buyers.

Both women and men prioritize scent (88% vs. 86%), while men are more brand-conscious (32% vs. 22%). Price or value for money are more of a factor for women than men (64% vs. 59%).

Most spend under USD 50

Among Americans who use perfume regularly or occasionally, a majority (57%) spent less than USD 50 on their most recent fragrance purchase. Three in ten (31%) say they spent under USD 25, and another 26% spent between USD 25 and 49. About one in five (22%) spent between USD 50 and USD 99, while 14% spent USD 100–149. Only 4% paid USD 150 or more, indicating that high-end fragrance purchases remain relatively rare, even though this segment has been growing rapidly according to recent Circana data.

Looking at gender differences, women are more likely than men to spend under USD 25 (36% vs. 24%). Men, meanwhile, are slightly more likely to spend USD 100 or more (22% vs. 16% when higher price brackets are combined).

Department stores and online retailers lead

Among American perfume users, department stores remain the top purchase channel: nearly half (46%) bought their last fragrance there. Far fewer (11%) purchased from a specialist retailer, while 23% bought from an online retailer. One in ten (10%) ordered from a brand’s website, and under 1% bought duty-free.

Women are more likely than men to buy from department stores (50% vs. 40%), whereas men are more likely to shop directly from a brand’s website (15% vs. 8%) or through online retailers (26% vs. 20%).

In-store sampling drives discovery

Sampling scents in person remains the top way Americans discover new perfumes: 60% of users say they typically find fragrances by trying them in-store. Recommendations from friends or family (35%) and samples received with other purchases (29%) follow, while advertising (17%), social media or influencers (17%), and online reviews (14%) play smaller roles.

Women are more likely than men to sample in-store (63% vs. 55%) and to receive samples with other purchases (34% vs. 22%). Men, meanwhile, are more influenced by advertising (21% vs. 15%) and online reviews (18% vs. 12%) and are slightly more likely to discover scents through recommendations (37% vs. 33%).