"Why Not?" a blog post from The NPD Group's Brenna Phelan, manager and fragrance industry analyst, delves in to the reasons why men aren't wearing fragrance this year.
She writes, "This year, less than 64% of men reported that they use fragrance, and only 23% report wearing it on an everyday, or nearly every day basis. That leaves a whole lot of men out there who walk around incomplete, partially put together, and quite frankly—naked. 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. Eleven percent of non-fragrance wearing men say that they prefer their natural smell. Some men even say that their wife/significant other prefer their natural smell. I love my significant other, but I prefer his natural smell mixed with a deodorant and EDT.
"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 concludes.
