Once the preserve of Britain’s ladies, it now looks like Britain’s men will be hoping to catch a whiff of celebrity this Christmas as new research from Mintel finds that men are increasingly dabbing into the celebrity perfume market. Today, some 6% of Britain’s men own a celebrity fragrance, compared to 16% of women. But male interest in these fragrances is growing. Back in 2007, less than 2% of the adult male population owned a celebrity fragrance. Today, this has risen to as many as one in twenty males. A massive three quarters of British men receive as gift a fragrance at Christmas and it is Britain’s dads (and in particular those with children under five) who are the most likely to own a celebrity scent, as Mintel finds as many as (13%) of these men are celebrity fragrance owners. Vivienne Rudd, Senior European Beauty Analyst, at Mintel, said: “Men are aware of the ability of scent to boost self-image and enhance confidence – an important factor when job security and rising unemployment are issues – and the increase of interest in male celebrity fragrances is reflective of this and the current marketplace. The UK’s obsession with celebrity makes the country fertile ground for celebrity fragrance. Other countries watch with amazement the parade of fragrances from people who would rarely be regarded as celebrities outside the pages of the UK tabloids and online gossip sites.”
In spite of the financial crisis, the men’s fragrance market has continued to grow, albeit at a slower pace. Last year Britain’s men sprayed
