Until recently, China’s fragrance market has been largely seen as a female-only category.
However, consumers are starting to change and the men’s fragrance market is beginning to make a splash, showing 20 per cent growth from 2008 to 2011, says Mintel.
The value of the men’s fragrance market stood at 689 million yuan (US$109.63 million) in 2011 – up 20 per cent in just three years. It was also revealed that a growing number of males are beginning to step up into prestige fragrances.
Prestige sales grew in value by 19 per cent to 422 million yuan (US$67.14 million) by 2011. And while the mass fragrance annual percentage growth rate stood at six per cent in 2011 – prestige grew by eight per cent.
“The word perfume often has feminine overtones among male consumers, however, thanks to the popularity of Japanese and Korean TV dramas, fashions from these countries are shaping Chinese men’s perceptions of personal grooming,” said Lui Meng Chow, China research analyst at Mintel.
According to Chow, younger male consumers are shifting away from their conservative traditions and have been impressed with concepts which promote individual expression.
“This has caused manufacturers to launch male-specific brands, including toiletries, despite the fact that they were previously associated with being a woman’s product,” said Chow.
Overall, the fragrance market in China grew 32 per cent in value from 3.2 billion yuan (US$509.19 million) in 2008 to 4.2 billion yuan (US$668.31 million) in 2011.
The majority of urban consumers in China use fragrance to be more attractive or well-groomed (60 per cent) or stylish (53 per cent). And as retail channels have developed rapidly, the outlets where Chinese consumers can purchase fragrance have diversified.
Today, nearly half (46 per cent) of Chinese consumers say they purchase perfumes and fragrances from a specialist perfume shop, 37 per cent buy at a department store and a similar number (35 per cent) say they purchase online. About 31 per cent claim to purchase fragrances from supermarkets and hypermarkets.
“As Chinese consumers are gradually expressing their individual identity to reflect their social status, fragrance has become one of the fashion accessories used by consumers to express personality,” said Chow.
Chinese consumers also use fragrance to reflect their personal style (80 per cent), while some say wearing a fragrance helps them stand out more at social or formal gatherings (78 per cent). Meanwhile, 45 per cent always look for the latest release of perfumes so as to stay ahead of the trend.
However, it’s not all about personal image. Some 39 per cent of fragrance users still use fragrance with the more functional purpose of eliminating body odor, and 42 per cent of respondents own or wear fragrance because they received it as a gift.
Following the implementation of the 1980s Open Door policy, western culture and style have significantly influenced consumer trends in China, with foreign investment also having a major impact on the Chinese economy and income in these regions. All these have resulted in demand for and spending in luxury products including fragrances, toiletries and make-up amongst the affluent and emerging middle income Chinese.
GB
