Fragrances in Brazil set to boom

The Brazilian fragrances market is set to grow rapidly, according to market research firm Canadean, driven by consumers seeking new experiences and the nation’s youthful population.

Last year, Brazil was already the most valuable fragrance market in the world: worth more than US$6bn, with figures partly driven by the high individual usage of fragrance – the average Brazilian applies three times as much fragrance as the average American, due to the hot climate, the frequency of showering and the lack of air conditioning. However, the country’s population is also young and with a growing middle class.

"A broad consumer base, experience-seeking consumers and a young affluent population will be the basis of the market’s continued rapid growth,” said Canadean. The Brazilian fragrance market is both broad and deep, with opportunities at both selective and mass level and in both men’s and women’s fragrances. Men, for instance, consume 48.7% of fragrance by volume, while consumers in the poorest 50% of households use almost as much fragrance as those in the richest 50%.

The desire to experience novel scents accounts for just under a quarter of all purchase decisions, while 25.5% of consumers seek to affirm their femininity or masculinity with fragrance – or indeed to defy gender stereotypes. Direct sales still account for more than 50% of fragrance sales in Brazil.