For some, fragrance can feel like a sensory photo album for their life. A dear friend of mine always purchases a fragrance when she travels to new places. She says it immediately transports her back to that time and place, even better than a photo. For myself, I associate fragrance with people. I will often smell a scent in the most mundane places and immediately find myself recalling the memory of a friend or loved one. 

As Valentine’s Day approaches, fragrance remains a favored gift. In 2019, the two weeks leading up to the holiday generated over $170 million in fragrance sales in the U.S. prestige market, increasing by 5% from the previous year. While women’s scents made up over 60% of the sales, men’s scents grew the fastest – up 7%.*

This year, new fragrance launches for 2020 are already in stores and waiting to be discovered. While fragrance can be found in many places, department stores are the preferred destination. According to NPD’s Scentiments consumer study, 41% of fragrance purchasers make their purchases in department stores.** 

As we observed during all the key gifting periods of 2019, fragrance sales continue to grow. Keeping the momentum, I expect Valentine’s Day 2020 will not disappoint. Whether it’s a new or classic scent, fragrance gift giving remains closely tied to this holiday. While flowers and chocolate quickly disappear, fragrance lingers and brings with it an imprint that may last a lifetime in someone’s memory. 

 

*Source: The NPD Group/ U.S. Prestige
Beauty Total Measured Market
**Source: The NPD
Group/ Scentiments Fragrance Journey 2019

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