This year, less than 64% of men in the U.S. reported that they use fragrance and only 23% report wearing it on an everyday, or nearly every day basis, according to an NPD group study.
"That leaves a whole lot of men out there who walk around incomplete, partially put together, and quite frankly – naked," said Brenna Phelan, manager and fragrance industry analyst at NPD, in a blog post entitled "Why Not?"
"Thirty-six percent of men don’t wear fragrance. I have to ask – why not? Of course, there are some understandable circumstances that would keep a person from wearing fragrance, such as allergies or other health concerns. But, of the men who do not use fragrance, 37% report that their reason is simply that they are not interested," said Phelan.
Eleven percent of non-fragrance wearing men say they prefer their natural smell.
"The challenge in the marketplace is to convert men who say that they are not interested in wearing fragrance or prefer their own scent. In store sampling is one way to convince them to give fragrance another try. Encouraging a man to bring home samples may result in him finding one that he loves, and that friends and family compliment him on, winning the brand / retailer a new customer," Phelan concluded.
