Home Fragrance Market Distinguished By Tough Competition, Attention-Grabbing Innovation

The competition is getting tough as home fragrance product marketers unveil new entries that cater to the demands of increasingly sophisticated consumers. Market data show that sales of home fragrance products at supermarkets, drug stores, and mass merchandisers (excluding Walmart) were essentially level – at about $850 million – during the year ending in July 2011. Upcoming new offerings include Halloween and fall season-focused candles; exotically fragranced candles and room mists; and spray, aerosol and plug-in air fresheners. Products are coming in high-end scents – vanilla bean fused with lavender? – and in novel shapes, like pillar candles. Meanwhile, Febreze is on a roll: air freshener revenue over the past 12 months hit $1 billion, and the brand was featured in 37 new product releases.