Fragrances in Sweden

PROSPECTS

Premium fragrances drive sales

Most fragrances sales are accounted for by premium brands, unlike in other beauty and personal care areas, where mass products dominate. High-quality, exclusivity, and brand loyalty are reasons for the popularity of premium fragrances.

Niche fragrances continue to grow in popularity

Swedish consumers are increasingly interested in individualisation and luxury products, thus positively impacting unit price growth, with these products generally being more expensive than widely sold brands. The previous perception that luxury was somehow ‘ugly’ is gradually fading, with Swedish consumers starting to follow more international consumption patterns.

Layering trend on the rise in 2017

The layering trend, which allows for the mixing and matching of different perfumes to attain a personalised scent, attracted strong attention from consumers in 2017, primarily via beauty magazines. However, this trend remains in an early stage of development as these fragrances are rather expensive, with only a limited number of larger fragrance brands (eg Armani Privé) releasing layering lines.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

International premium brands dominate sales

Scandinavian Cosmetics was the largest player within fragrances in 2017 due to its offering of a large assortment of brands, including Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada, and Diesel. The second largest player is E Saether, which offers brands such as Paco Rabanne and Chanel, as well as smaller ranges.

Internet retailing facilitates growth of smaller brands

Small niche brands which struggle to penetrate larger physical retail stores generally use internet retailers to display their products and attract new customers. Although many of these players are rather small, they are still seeing strong growth, with consumers showing growing interest in niche products and being more willing to try smaller brands.

Most consumers remain brand or price loyal

Despite growing interest in experimenting with new fragrance scents and brands, many Swedish consumers remain brand loyal. This is especially true for older consumers, who have typically already found a brand that they consider to be their ‘signature’ scent.

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