It seems every other day a celebrity announces the launch of some fragrance, and with everybody and their mom shilling out sometimes multiple scents, one has to wonder who the heck is buying all these fragrances anyway? Well, according to Fortune, not that many people – at least not anymore. It seems celebrity fragrances are finally starting to fall out of fashion.
Big brands like Elizabeth Arden are suffering from losses and they blame celebrity fragrances for the downturn. As Coty’s Chairman Bart Becht told Wall Street analysts, “The mass fragrance part, in particular on the celebrity side in the U.S., is in decline.” Since 2000, sales in the mass fragrance market has decreased to $600 million – which is half of what it used to be worth. Part of the reason why sales in the celebrity fragrance market aren’t doing so well is that these fragrances aren’t usually particularly high-end. Beyoncé can release as many versions of her Heat scent as she likes, but if you’re able to shop for a fragrance at the drugstore, chances are you’re not going to associate it with luxury. On the other hand, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bottle of Stella by Stella McCartney at your local Rite Aid and it is that kind of positioning that reads high-end, and thus more credible to consumers. Fortune also notes that many celeb fragrances appeal to younger customers who, unfortunately, have short attention spans.
But besides that, let’s be real: there are simply too many celebrity fragrances and it always seems like more of a money grab than an actual love and commitment to the craft when a celebrity announces they’re releasing a new scent. While high-end fragrances seem to fit into the overall feel of a luxury brand, chances are if you’re buying a bottle of Katy Perry‘s Killer Queen Eau de Parfum, you’re doing it because you’re a fan of Katy Perry and not because you’re looking for a high-quality scent to carry you from day to night.
As for us, we’ll stick to our Tom Ford Neroli Portofino and Narciso Rodriguez for Her.
[via Fortune]
