Your Questions Answered - Brief Article

American Demographics, Dec 1, 2001

Scents for the Senses

To the Editors of American Demographics:

I am preparing my thesis on perfume for men and I'd like to know if your magazine has published anything on the subject.

Jessica Manley

jessica.manley@swing.be

Brussels, Belgium

Dear Jessica:

You're not the first to contact us requesting information about the industry for men's fragrances. In fact, you might be interested in reading several items we've written on the subject, including "Scent of a Man" (January 2001) and "But Made for a Man" (December 1999), which can be downloaded from our Web site at www.demographics.com.

In the meantime, here's some additional information for you: According to "Beauty Trends," a report released by Port Washington, N.Y.-based market research firm NPD, sales of prestige men's fragrances in department stores in the U.S. reached an estimated $972 million between July 2000 and June 2001, up 2 percent from the comparative time frame the previous year. While that's impressive, keep in mind that men's fragrances account for barely one-third of the overall prestige fragrances market in the U.S. - estimated at $3 billion annually.

But not all fragrances are sold by well-coiffed women wearing white lab coats. Chicago-based market research firm Information Resources Inc. (IRI) reports that an additional $454 million was spent nationwide on men's fragrances sold in supermarkets, drug stores and mass merchandise outlets between mid-August 2000 and mid-August 2001. (IRI includes shaving lotions, cologne and talcs in its men's fragrance category.)

Cologne use varies widely among men. According to New York City-based Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI), 60 percent of men have used after-shave or cologne at least once in the past six months. Cologne use is highest among young men and steadily declines with age. Men 18 to 24 are 43 percent more likely to use cologne than all men, whereas men older than 65 are 53 percent less likely to dab a little eau de toilette behind their ears. The opposite trend is true with after-shave. Men age 65 and older are 22 percent more likely than all men to wear after-shave, compared with men 18 to 24, who are 12 percent less likely to splash on some Aqua Velva.

Speaking of the classics, the tried-and-true brands are the most widely used. Old Spice ranks as the No. 1 cologne and after-shave brand today (10 percent of all men use it). Polo Sport (5 percent) and Stetson (4 percent) round out the top three.

John Fetto

Research Editor

Working Women

To the Editors of American Demographics:

How many single, working mothers are there in the United States?

Chris Cagan

Commercial Market Intelligence

Cypress, Calif.

Dear Chris:

According to the Census Bureau's 2000 Current Population Survey, there are 6,516,309 single, working mothers in the U.S. Here's how they breakout:

John Fetto

Research Editor

HOW TO REACH US:

Fax: (212) 332-6435

E-mail: jfetto@mediacentral.com

Address: 1230 Avenue of the Americas, 16th floor, New York, NY 10020

Submissions should include writer's full name, company, address and e-mail. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.