Trends in home fragrance have evolved tremendously during the past few years. According to Patti Kapla, fragrance specialist and vice president of business development for FragranceNet.com, Deer Park, NY, consumers have become more health-conscious and in turn, look for home fragrance products to improve their well-being via scent, including SKUs that feature essential oils.

“This season, we’re seeing a big shift toward natural home fragrances that feature more sophisticated blends of woods, notes of exotic florals and fruits, herbs and spices and other culinary-inspired creations,” Kapla told Happi. “In Fall, scents typically warm up with more comforting blends of warm cider and hot chocolate, nuts, pumpkin and earthier notes. Herbs and spices are also quite popular in fall fragrances.”

Air freshener sales rose 3.1% to $2.7 billion according to data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) for total US multi-outlet (supermarkets, drugstores, mass-market retailers, military commissaries and select club and dollar retail chains) for the 52 weeks ended July 12, 2015. Home air fresheners alone maintained even sales at $1.97 billion; potpourri and sachets jumped 14.9% to $345.2 million. Also, drivers are still looking to refresh car interiors on the go, as automobile air freshener sales soared 11.7% to $338.3 million.

“Candles remain a huge part of the market, including portable travel candles so you can choose your environment wherever you are,” Karen Dubin, founder and CEO, Sniffapalooza, New York City, told Happi. “Room sprays continue to be strong, because they’re an easy way to transform your space at all price points.”

According to Dubin, the market’s filled with more diffusers than ever, featuring increasingly elaborate container packaging made to look like antique family heirlooms or sculptural objects. There’s also been a revitalization in incense, potpourri, scented stones and alternative ways to scent space.

What’s Selling Now?
The evolution of US home fragrance sales was largely a consequence of the entry of P&G’s Febreze Stick & Refresh in recent years, noted global market research firm Euromonitor in its report, Air Care in the US. The latest innovation from Febreze in 2015 is a collaboration with Tide. Its Fabric Refresher Tide Original Scent is said to wash away odors with earthy florals and rich vanilla aromas.

Other rising stars in home fragrance are prestige candles, according to Kline’s Home Fragrances: US Market Analysis and Opportunities report. Accounting for more than 50% of total market share, the luxury segment continues to drive the US home fragrance marketplace. Smaller brands are the ones igniting sales with distinctive, decorative visuals, observed sources at Kline.

“Home fragrance has been a part of home décor since the 1990s when the sales of candles peaked,” said Sagar Gehra, senior consultant at Kline. “Nowadays, the aesthetic appeal and home décor value continue to be important facets that help marketers stand out and drive product sales across all channels be it prestige or mass.”

According to Gehra, helping to drive sales are “creative and giftable packaging ideas that allow consumers to experience the scent while on shelf.”

Building upon previous years’ growth, diffusers are warming up to become new gems on the market. The ease of use, no risk of spill or burn, modern designs, and new continuous-release technology promising long-lasting fragrance delivery is a turning point behind this migration.

“In the US market, the biggest growth is in the flameless fragrance category,” agreed Dana Harrell, director, product portfolio  and merchandising, PartyLite North America North America, Plymouth, MA. “This growth is driven by wax melts and other flameless fragrance options.

Within this category, PartyLite has successfully launched its decorative fragrance sticks, SmartScents by PartyLite. In the candle category, innovation is always a winner, noted Harrell. 

“Our patented GloLite by PartyLite technology, touting the claim ‘The World’s Brightest Candle’ is one our top customer choices. Consumers look for a quality candle.”

Taking a Hint
Besides novel forms of delivery, shoppers seek seasonal scent stories. For example, for Fall 2015, Yankee Candle has unveiled its new fragrances available in both classic jar and tumbler forms. The new products are said to embrace the vivid colors and scents of this time of year: Autumn in the Park (fresh peeled apple, fallen leaves, lemon zest and pumpkin), Crisp Morning Air (eucalyptus, mint, soft pear and sage), Sugar & Spice (cinnamon, buttery vanilla and sugar crystals), Lush Berries and Vanilla Bourbon.

“Based on our research and consumer insights, we created these five new fragrances with the sights and sounds of autumn in mind,” said Geoff Medeiros, vice president brand and product development for The Yankee Candle Company, Inc., South Deerfield, MA. “Our new Fall line is all about embracing the colors, scents and flavors of the season.”

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of “The Sound of Music,” Yankee Candle is bringing back the My Favorite Things Limited Edition Collection for Holiday 2015. This whimsical range, based on song lyrics by Rodgers & Hammerstein, features three returning fan favorites and one new addition: Do Re Mi, a new fragrance representing another hit song from the musical.

Tapping into the consumer desire for variety, Air Wick recently launched its Life Scents collection, billed as the first-ever constantly changing fragrances, according to the company. The range is available in a variety of formats including scented oils, Freshmatics and the latest iteration, candles.

According to the RB brand, unlike other home fragrances, each Life Scents item contains three distinct accords that are sequentially detectable. Each scent can be experienced on its own, but also the three notes work together to provide one harmonious and cohesive fragrance. The patent-pending technology makes it possible for Air Wick to provide a constantly changing scent. For instance, with the Cozy By the Fire fragrance, one may first smell firewood, then a hint of orange, and finally a layer of warm cinnamon and continuous variations thereafter as the three fragrance accords compete in their levels of noticeability.
According to sources at Air Wick, another novel facet of the candles is that labels peel off so they fit in with the decor of any home. The products come in four scents—Summer Delights, Cozy By the Fire, Spiced Apple Crumble and Emerald Woodlands.

In tune with the concept of innovative packaging and shining the light on the spirit of the holiday season, FarmHouse Fresh introduced two Cozy Candles, which spread joy and cheer through colorful, knitted decorative sweaters that hug each soy-blend candle.

“We are showering the senses with great smells and colorful nostalgic images that make people reminisce about holidays past while celebrating the present,” said Shannon McLinden, president of FarmHouse Fresh. “The Cozy Candles, which feature spiced rum and fir scents, make excellent decorative gifts and are wonderful accessories to feature at a holiday gathering. They also complement festive offerings such as eggnog, spiced apple cider, chocolate bark and other treats.”

Method is also expanding its home fragrance portfolio with a line of candles at Target. According to the company, these scented, dye-free, soy wax blends burn clearly and evenly for as many as 24 hours. The products are packaged in colored glass and come in five nature-inspired fragrances from fresh, fruity Apple Slice to herbaceous Beach Sage.

A Fragrant Outlook
Fragrance continues to serve as an important product differentiator, especially within premium and sophisticated air care. According to Euromonitor, “complex fragrances” can be expected to complement the aesthetic qualities of home fragrance products. The combination of the two can help lend distinct personality. Home care fragrances, in general, appear to be inspired by a variety of factors such as decor, food or travel. Edible fragrances influenced by gourmet choices, also known as gourmand fragrances, are very popular in the US and will continue to grow, added the market research firm.

Kapla of Fragrance.net noted that green living is on the rise across the globe and consumers are not only more aware of the ingredients they’re putting into their bodies, but also of those in the air around them.

“More and more shoppers are looking for home fragrances that feature essential oils rather than artificial fragrances and overpowering scents,” she said, adding that “spirited” home fragrances featuring gin, whiskey and rum notes are a big trend to watch for Holiday 2015.

“Cool blends of fir and pine are always popular around the holidays, but this year these wintry staples are creamier with notes of vanilla or more refreshing with a mix of fruit blended in,” Kapla said.

According to Kline, a noticeable rising trend is outdoor scents preferred as indoor fragrances, such as Veranda Garden by Bath & Body Works and Nectar by Febreze, as well as a wide range of baked goods and spices, such as Baking Cookies by Air Wick. Masculine scents also continue to be a growing trend, said Gehra.

When it comes to an increase in mass market, budget-friendly developments or prestige, high-end home fragrances, there’s certainly an increase at both ends of the scale, noted Dubin of Sniffapalooza.

“Prestige brand candles consistently remain a top choice for gift giving,” she explained. “They represent ultimate luxury and also the aesthetic and personality of the giver.”

Meanwhile, a trip through Target shows more affordable air fresheners than ever before with Glade, Febreze and Airwick all doing collections that change with the seasons.

According to Dubin, these collections are the result of intensive research that studies demographic behavior, fashion trends and popular culture to come up with new smells that will appeal to consumers of varying ages, backgrounds and socio-economic levels, which is how you get affordable home fragrances.

“I also found mountain air-scented trash bags, chamomile-scented furniture polish, rhubarb dish soap, blueberry-scented mascara and orange blossom-scented pencils, which happily confirms to me that consumers now have become used to and want fragrance in every aspect of their daily lives,” said Dubin.