Press on 'buy'

Lately I've noticed that my interest in the so-called niche fragrances has declined considerably. Somehow there's nothing that really challenges me, nothing that triggers me to make a purchase. While about 1 or 2 years ago, I could still be very enthusiastic about a new release and without thinking about it I blindly bought it ( no regrets), nowadays this urge has been reduced to below zero. The same goes for buying sample-sets. Even from the perfume-houses I hold in high esteem...recognizable ?

Yes! It's a phase most perfumistas go through at some point, it seems. Either your brain has become less sensitive to the endorphin loop, or something else has taken the place and energy that this hobby used to take. It may be temporary, it may not, only time will tell. It's okay! Life is movement, things change constantly and so do we. 

Hi Controversy,

Absolutely!! Sometimes it feels like a hangover. I am sure it has a lot to do with what Nushka points out. I also think that with the more you smell and experience fragrances the easier you start to recognise similarities and "patterns"  and you realise a lot of fragrances have the same structure so it gets kind of boring. 

Thank you Nushka and Cocopah for your thoughtful responses, its much appreciated ! It is indeed true that all parfumista's go through different phases in this vast fragrance journey. For several reasons. But this is something I have never experienced in the more than 4 decades of being a fanatical perfume-lover that there is nothing (in the niche segment) that turns me on. Something that immediately appeals to me and makes me very curious to test / have. Is it because the fragrance market has been flooded with far too many new releases over the last 10 years, with far too many new perfume brands all promising the same thing? I notice that in the last year I am mainly looking for the scents that fascinated me so much in the 70s and 80s. With the 'old formula' without imposed restrictions & regulations. Unfortunately, there are really hardly any perfume houses nowadays that can live up to these expectations...

"Is it because the fragrance market has been flooded with far too many new releases over the last 10 years, with far too many new perfume brands all promising the same thing?"

This!👆🏼 It's kind of overwhelming. 

Exactly🙏...sorry for my belated reply ( I had a few hectic / busy days)

A few months ago I did a bit of research : how many perfumes are released since the beginning of  the 19th century until today. There's been a huge difference in several periods and decades . And I guess the same for the the numbers of perfume brands.

For example: : 

⭐️ In the last decade of the 19th century the average number of releases were around 35 perfumes per year

⭐️ In the Roaring Twenties the average number of released perfumes was around 150 per year

⭐️ During WW II and the years that followed ( the reconstruction period) a variety between 45 to over 200 number of perfume releases per year

⭐️During the 60ties & 70ties it was between 50 and raised up to over 200 in the end of the 70ties

⭐️ The 80'ties it seems that perfume became a serious addition for men & women and the releases hit the number of 300+ at the end of this decade.

⭐️ The last few years of the 20th century perfume became ' serious business ' with over average of 500 releases per year

⭐️ Then...the 21 century: the first years an average number of over 600 and ..blame the internet 10 years later it was over 4000!!!!! releases per year.

⭐️ The end the decade ( 2010- 2019) the average number of releases were at its highlight with over 5500 releases per year

⭐️ Somehow the number of releases dropped the last 3 years and in 2022 there were ' only' 3500 releases

It looks like a change in perfume creating/ releases has started...I'm curious how this will continue. Will it raise up again or ??

Hi,

Those numbers are telling!  I assume chemical R & D and societal changes do impact the demand of the consumers for new type of perfumes (demand creation). Maybe the drop in the numbers in the last 3 years can be explained due to the pandemic and the disruption of the global supply chains?

I have to compare the behaviour of perfume consumers vs makeup consumers. For comparison: the average purchase of makeup (lipsticks, mascaras, eyeshadows) is 4 products per year per person. I assume that many of us have bought more than 4 perfume bottles per year in the past 3 years. I know I did. Considering that a bottle of niche perfume is way more expensive that any lipstick or foundation (including the brands in the luxury segment), it is logical to ask ourselves why were we willing to fork-out so much $$ on perfume in the past years? Was it because of the groundbreaking new perfume offerings? I like to think that maybe the market waters are settling down again and we just moved past the pandemic/isolation perfume rush. Maybe we are heading to a more consumer informed, environmentally conscious purchasing behaviour that makes us be more choosy and more critical to new perfume releases.  Sorry for the rumblings.

I have no doubts that the pandemic and the difficulty of obtaining all raw materials and other necessities has had a huge impact on the numbers over the past 3 years. Whether all this has a positive influence (including climate protection/sustainability) in our buying behavior? Time will tell ....

I wish I had the figures of the average perfume sales per person available...and even then an average actually says so little because it depends entirely on how it's been researched. An average of 4 make-up articles per person... which group of people (age, gender, income, which countries/continents) and what has been included or omitted in these figures. And the same goes for perfumes. 

Don't worry about the rumblings, I really appreciate your response