A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but is that what perfume buyers really think when it comes to purchasing fragrances? Are they swayed by newer names like Victoria’s Secret or Marc Jacobs, or do they stick to classics like Chanel N°5?
We look into eBay Women’s Fragrance category across the US, UK, Australia and Germany to get a whiff of buying trends.
United States
The US eBay Women’s Fragrance category offers a mix of classic and contemporary brands. Chanel, a classic, makes up 8% of total available listings. Calvin Klein 5%, and Versace 5%. Top ranking fragrances are:
Versace Bright Crystal
Calvin Klein Eternity
Victoria’s Secret Bombshell
Overall fragrance sales are saturated in the $20-40 range, making nearly 70% of total sales and revenue.
At this price range, sales are dominated by marked down Chanel perfumes, implying that although American buyers like the look of low prices and trendy brands, their strong preference is classic fragrances like Chanel at affordable prices.
United Kingdom
The UK Fragrance category is significantly more fragmented than the United States, populated by contemporary and celebrity brands with no strong brand dominance. Top ranking fragrances are:
Paco Rabanne Lady Million
Lady Gaga Eu de Gaga
Calvin Klein Obsession
Although 86% of fragrances sold are below £45, there is sufficient demand across the different prices points on eBay to even-out sales revenue through to £54 with a strong spike at the £82-90 range - which interestingly is entirely from 2 Chanel fragrances.
eBay UK buyers more often purchase cheaper, trendier fragrances, but there is still a strong segment willing to invest in the classics at higher price points.
Australia
Unlike the US and UK, Australia’s market is almost entirely dominated by classic brands, Yves Saint Laurent at 4% of all listings, Chanel (4%), and Elizabeth Arden (3%). Top ranked fragrances are:
Dior J’adore
Bottega Veneta
Estee Lauder Beautiful
50% of sold items are from fragrances under $46. However, 50% of revenue in the fragrance category comes from the $70-139 price range. Australian buyers are willing to spend top dollar on high cost classic brands on eBay.
Germany
The German eBay Fragrance category is primarily contemporary brands including Calvin Klein (8%) of listings, Jil Sander (7%), and Hugo Boss (6%). Top ranked fragrances are:
Lacoste
Jean Paul Gaultier Classic
Lancome Miracle.
The category shows consistent demand across the mid-price ranges with a slight spike between €31-40.
Overall Key Take Aways
Brand names matter a great deal in this category. Unlike other eBay categories, Womens Fragrances is a category almost completely void of unbranded or indie products.
The standout brand across all countries is Chanel, proving that classics are here to stay. The best performing brand in terms of sales and revenue is Calvin Klein, showing that versatility and affordability matter just as much.
On the US site, buyers tend to shy away from higher prices - possibly from having greater online alternatives to eBay. However the other eBay country sites have retained and engaged buyers with a broader price range and willingness to spend on eBay. This is significant because sales and revenue in the fragrance category, which is luxury branded and high priced, means that that type of buyer is still shopping other products and categories on eBay.
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ShelfTrend data is eBay specific, not total online sales. Data is as at 29/11/2019 from ShelfTrend’s Live Listings (Top 500) Report and the Supply Demand Report, a cohort analysis of eBay’s top 1000 listings.
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