Be Scent-Sational

Americans are known worldwide for their obsession with cleanliness. Part of that obsession includes wearing spotless clothing. And although humans have been trying to wash their laundry by machine since the 1700s, it wasn’t until the 1940s and 1950s that Americans finally gained access — en masse — to the automatic washing machine.

With the washing machine came laundry detergent. And although laundry detergent might have started out as a means to an end, the introduction of laundry fragrances has helped turn the laundry detergent aisle into a smorgasbord of choices for consumers.

Trends with traction

Laundry detergent continues to be a very personal, even intimate, category for consumers, says Lori Miller Burns, director of marketing for Marietta, Ga.-based Arylessence Inc. With consumers “wearing” the scent of their laundry detergent on their clothes, it’s incredibly important for the consumer to be happy with the fragrance. Consumers first of all want to smell clean and fresh.

“Clothes, towels and linens that evoke freshness and stimulate personal feelings of pleasure, comfort and satisfaction [are] exactly what consumers expect,” she adds.

Arylessence believes scents that will continue to remain popular in the coming year include Blanc ones (clean, sparkling scents that are fresh and invigorating with breezy marine ozones and white florals such as jasmine, lily of the valley and magnolia) and Verdant ones (a green theme that brings together deeply verdant, lush aromatic notes of galbanum, privet and green tea with fresh-cut grasses, herbals and aquatics).

Additionally, scents inspired by food ingredients such as fennel, olive and almonds are currently popular around the world and could resonate with U.S. consumers, reports global market researcher Mintel in its December 2013 “Category Insight: Fabric Care” report. Escapist themes and aromatherapy claims also continue to drive fragrance innovation.

Trends on the horizon

When it comes to future trends in fragrance, retailers will want to keep in mind that laundry is a fragrance-driven category and consumers have been “trained” to expect great fragrances in the products they buy, Miller Burns says. So retailers will want to develop sophisticated laundry fragrances that can effectively compete against the leading brands.

For example, scents that evoke luxury and surprising and unique florals will be popular in the near future, states Michelle Harper, director of evaluation, Arylessence.

“We are seeing luxury expressed in new ways, and also how the role of florals can be powerfully enhanced and amplified by surprising and unexpected combinations with fruit, berry, spice, green and gourmand notes,” she says. “These creative, innovative ideas are influencing consumers today and will continue to shape expectations in the coming year. This is where fragrance is heading.”

And consumer concerns over allergic reactions to fragrances are prompting an increase in fragrances made from natural ingredients, states Dallas-based Markets and Markets in its “Fragrance Ingredients Market by Type, by Application & by Geography — Global Trends & Forecasts to 2019” report, published in October. This trend is especially gaining traction in Europe and could reach the United States in the near future.

With consumers “wearing” the scent of their laundry detergent on their clothes, it’s incredibly important for the consumer to be happy with the fragrance. Consumers first of all want to smell “clean” and “fresh.”