Is 2017 the year of change for women's perfumery? That is what the latest figures released by The NPD Group tend to show. In France, sales of new fragrances for women (i.e. fragrances launched less than 12 months ago) increased by 39% in value in perfumeries and department stores over the January-July 2017 period, compared with the same period a year earlier.
The French no longer seem as loyal to their favourite perfume as they did a few years ago. This is reflected in the revenue generated by launches over the period January-July 2017. They alone generated over 77 million euros, 22 million more than last year over the same period.
Fewer variations, more new features
The real change lies in the willingness of brands and perfume houses to propose new olfactory lines, driven by new concepts, rather than variations of existing fragrances. At the end of July 2017, new concepts accounted for half of launch revenues, compared with 22% for the same period a year earlier.
"After years very focused on variations of existing lines, 2017 is characterized by the return in force of new concepts, without any link with lines already installed. In addition, a number of major launches were positioned early in the year, such as'Mon Guerlain','Aura' by Mugler and'Scandal' by Jean Paul Gaultier. This allows more visibility during the launch, because September, which usually concentrates the biggest launches, is particularly hard fought," explains Mathilde Lion, Beauty Expert Europe at The NPD Group.
Three variations,"Black Opium Floral Shock" by Yves Saint Laurent,"Chanel N°5 L'Eau" by Chanel and"J'adore Injoy" by Dior, are nevertheless part …
