Fragrance Reported as the Primary Purchase Driver in Certain Products
Consumer research company Mintel has been active over a number of years looking at consumer behaviour and the key product attributes which drive purchase decision making. They found that scent was a primary driver for a number of key categories in grocery.
Source: Mintel CDC 2013, Oxygen 2014
The research carried out largely in Europe & USA.
Personal Care
USA
In America, consumers reported: ‘A scent I like is the most important attribute when shopping for soap and body wash.’
For American men, the scent is the second most important factor affecting the purchase decision of men’s personal care after price.
France
60% of French soap users report that a fragrance they like is an important feature when choosing shower and bath products.
Germany
60% of German deodorant wearers say that a fragrance they like is an important feature of deodorant products.
Household
Household usually has fragrance an afterthought when it comes to marketing, but research has found that would be at the detriment to the brand owner.
- 55% of Spanish consumers like to try washing with liquids in new fragrances.
- 52% of Italian consumers say that scent is an important factor when shopping for hard surface cleaning products.
- 48% of French and Spanish consumers would like laundry products with fragrances that keep clothes smelling fresh for longer.
How to Leverage These Insights?
Consumers want to smell before purchase, Mintel’s research found.
- 53% of German soap users say that they like to check what a soap, bath and shower product smells like before buying it.
- 34% of American men who use grooming products say they like to smell scented products before purchase.
- 59% of German users report they would like the opportunity to smell body sprays before buying it.