Fragrance Sales Associates Not Influential In Men's Purchases - Survey

Fragrance sales associates should offer more information at point-of-purchase to interested male consumers in order to capture a relatively untapped audience, Esquire Exec Director-Marketing and Strategic Planning Jason Lundy said.

While some men are well educated about prestige fragrance and grooming products, "most want to learn more," Lundy told attendees of The Fragrance Foundation's Fall/Winter Trends seminar "The Forgotten Man" in New York City May 25.

"This dearth of education creates a new and powerful opportunity for the industry," Lundy continued. "We can sell to him by increasing his knowledge about what our products are and how they can specifically benefit him."

According to Esquire Luxury and Finishing Touches studies, 87% of men surveyed said the department store sales associate is not an influential factor in their fragrance purchase. Participants were ages 35-54 and in the top 20% of American incomes, those with a household income of at least $75,000.

Sixty-seven percent of men in the Esquire studies reported they were interested in learning more about skin care, while 46% and 41% of non-users said they would consider buying an anti-aging product or premium shaving soap/cream, respectively.

Men's prestige fragrance sales have increased 22% since 1996 to nearly $1 bil. in 1999, Lundy told The Fragrance Foundation audience, citing data from NPD BeautyTrends.

While many beauty companies target male consumers ages 18-34 through youth-focused advertising, the influence of younger men in the 1990s shrank by 1.7 market points, according to MRI analysis. In contrast, men ages 35-54 increased their spending influence by 3.4 market points.

The latter age group is expected to lead Market Tracking International's predicted 13% growth in men's fragrances over the next five years, Lundy reported.

"The fragrance and grooming industry is perhaps better positioned to provide men with daily luxuries than any other. Educating them on how they can do that is the key to this tremendous opportunity," Lundy said.

Educational material can be used by retailers to lead men to "purchase far more product than [they] originally intended," Lundy suggested. "Once we've communicated how our products provide more value when used together, he'll buy multiple products."

While "educational instruction" in packaging and advertising educates and attracts male consumers, men also like "extremely knowledgeable sales associates who know how products work and how products can work together to provide specific and customized benefits," Lundy continued.

"Men would rather have a partial open-sell environment with fewer - but extremely knowledgeable - sales associates than a closed-sell environment with more - but less experienced - sales associates," he explained.

Open-selling environments have become increasingly popular over the past several years, most recently with the expansion of Sephora in the U.S. In addition, Bloomingdale's, as well as Clinique and Tommy Hilfiger's "low-pressure" department store shops boast democratic buying environments.

Federated opted for an open-sell strategy and has been rolling out the design since 1996, starting with a Bloomingdale's door in California. Open-selling is the subject of a lawsuit between Sephora and Macy's West, in which the LVMH chain has accused its competitor of copying its design (¹ (Also see "Sephora Suing Macy's West For Trade Infringement In Stand-Alone Doors" - HBW Insight, 16 Aug, 1999.)).

Sephora's Rockefeller Center location has taken the trend one step further and opened its doors after hours for men only to allow them to become acquainted with available products and services in a "comfortable environment," Sephora Senior VP Betsy Olum said during the trends seminar.

As another method to attract male consumers, Goldman, Sachs VP Amy Chasen recommended marketing fragrances through ancillary products rather than introducing entirely new fragrances to men. For example, she suggested, manufacturers could build off daily-use products such as deodorant or shampoo.