According to Lui Meng Chow, China research analyst at Mintel, until recently, perceptions have remained fixed in China - associating fragrance as a female-only category. "Now a shift has appeared where Japanese and Korean TV dramas, fashion and celebrity endorsement are driving the change in attitudes when it comes to male grooming."
Mintel reports the value of the men’s fragrance market as RMB 689 million ($110m) in 2011, - up 20 percent in just three years, compared to that of the women's at 10 percent.
Factors such as foreign investment and the implementation of the '1980s Open Door policy' - where western culture and style have influenced consumer developmental trends, are also highlighted as being significant segment drivers on the region.
"All of these have resulted in demand for and spending in luxury products including fragrances, toiletries and make-up amongst the affluent and emerging middle income Chinese,” Lui Meng explains.
Shift towards prestige
The report further notes younger male consumers as beginning to shift away from conservative traditions and more towards prestige fragrance usage, 'having been impressed with concepts that promote individual expression'.
With prestige sales growing in value by 19 percent to reach RMB 422 million by 2011, Lui Meng says most Chinese males are tending to buy into products with credible quality, and are thus willing to spend more in their first experience of grooming products.
This in turn, the market analyst says is now driving manufacturers to launch male-specific brands, including prestige and luxury products, from aftershave to eau de toilette, despite the fact that they were previously associated with being a woman’s product.
Overall view
Overall, Mintel reveals the fragrance market in China to have grown by 32 percent in value from RMB 3.2 billion in 2008 to RMB 4.2 billion in 2011.
In terms of spending patterns, it's report notes the majority of urban consumers in China using fragrance to become more attractive and well-groomed (60 percent) or stylish (53 percent).
"Today, nearly half (46 percent) of Chinese consumers say they purchase perfumes and fragrances from a specialist perfume shop, 37 percent buy at a department store and a similar number (35 percent) purchase online. Meanwhile, 31 per cent claim to purchase fragrances from supermarkets and hypermarkets," Lui Meng concludes.