Believe it or not, there are hundreds of different fabric care industry fragrances available on the market today. While every customer’s nose works differently, there are clear winners and losers in the fabric care space, and preferences are ever-changing. As a result, some of the most popular scents that we’re used to seeing on most of our store shelves may not be as prominent in 2023 as they have been in the past.
Using our White Space AI Tool, the team here at Simporter analyzed 109 fabric care fragrances to figure out which scents might stink and no longer be trending in 2023. Is your brand keeping tabs on what consumers do and don’t need when it comes to their favorite fabric scents?
Two trendy scent categories will be our top losers next year — not the results you might expect. Want to see which fragrances we believe will come out on top in 2023? Check out our other blog post here.
Fragrances to Forget
The graphic below breaks down the four fabric care fragrances we believe possess the lowest potential for growth in 2023. Fabric care fragrance opportunity scores are determined by looking at both share of voice (a leading indicator of market share) and year-over-year growth rate.
Original Scent
Original Scent is surprisingly not one of the largest categories within fabric care fragrances, boasting only a 0.23 percent share of voice. Out of 109 fragrances analyzed, you would expect Original or Classic scents to hold a significant share of voice, but they ultimately don’t own much of the market. Products like Forever New’s Original Scent Laundry Detergent should see a decrease in prominence next year, with an expected negative 56.61 percent growth rate throughout 2023.
Instead, we expect consumers to turn towards more distinct scents, like citrus or vanilla, or unscented products. So, if your brand’s goal is to create new products in winning forms, stay away from Original and pivot to Unscented or find a niche that entices people to choose you over others.
Lavender
One of the larger shares of voice among fabric care fragrances is Lavender, which holds a 0.74 percent share of the total fragrance market. Unfortunately for this category, we expect them to lose just over a quarter of their existing share of voice with a negative 26.33 percent growth rate in 2023. Luxury brands like Dropps may need to adjust their product offerings slightly if they want to continue charging top-dollar in a crowded industry.
Lavender is a soothing, pleasant fragrance but can sometimes smell very artificial to consumers. While Lavender is specifically set to struggle a bit next year, we expect similar options like Floral fragrances — from more natural sources — to become increasingly popular with today’s buyers.
Fruity
Already holding a minimal share of the market (with a 0.04 percent share of voice), Fruity comes up third on our list of predicted losers for the fabric care fragrance industry. We anticipate that Fruity scents like this nectarine blossom laundry detergent won’t perform well with younger consumers — particularly Gen Z — who now hold significant buying power in today’s economy.
We recommend redirecting your scent options towards Citrus-based fruits if you plan to continue offering Fruity varieties in your future product lineups. As we covered in our predicted winner’s blog, Citrus scented fabric care products should experience 172.37 percent growth in 2023, while Fruity should see a significant dip in popularity, with a negative 18.25 percent anticipated growth next year.
Honeysuckle
Technically, Honeysuckle is a predicted loser in this year’s fabric care fragrance market, but it’s more of a break-even situation than a total loss. Last on this list, Honeysuckle products from brands like Mrs. Meyer’s won’t lose too much of their 0.06 percent share of voice, with only a tiny 1.58 percent predicted negative growth rate in the next four quarters.
We don’t attribute this slight loss of market share to anything specific; it’s likely due to additions of various new fragrance options and the dilution of the whole market.
Original is Out; Honeysuckle Breaks Even
One of the first things consumers do when they finish a load of laundry or use their favorite fabric spray is taking a deep breath in to enjoy the smell. It’s critical that your company’s fabric care industry products have a clean, branded feel, but more importantly, a smell that your customers are intoxicated by. If they feel that your fragrances are too artificial smelling or don’t satisfy their needs for natural ingredients, your products will sit on shelves while your competitor’s products sell like hotcakes.
For more insights on luxury cosmetics trends, check out our recent webinar here. If you’re ready to see Simporter AI in action and learn what it can do for you, request a demo on our website.
