The Top-performing Prestige and Mass Fragrance Brands During the First Half of 2023

Fragrance is up.

According to Circana, the category saw 13 percent and 11 percent growth in dollar sales in the prestige and mass markets, respectively, during the first half of 2023.

“The mass numbers are so strong, it’s almost [growing at] the same rate as prestige; that’s somewhat unusual because typically, fragrance on the mass side is not as dynamic a market. Fragrance is very much a prestige business,” said Larissa Jensen, vice president of beauty at Circana.

While average price increases and new innovation — like Maesa’s Fine’ry brand — are driving growth in mass dollar sales, the channel has seen a 3 percent decrease in unit sales during the first half. (“It’s something we’re seeing across the board with most of the mass categories, where dollars are growing somewhat significantly, but units are soft,” Jensen said).

Prestige, meanwhile, is up a healthy 8 percent in unit sales.

“Stronger concentrations — eau de parfums and colognes — make up around 60 percent of sales, and there’s been an almost immediate return to brick-and-mortar [shopping] once it was available,” said Jensen, noting roughly 80 percent of fragrance purchases are made in-person.

The top prestige and mass fragrance brands by dollar sales in the U.S. during the first half of 2023, per Circana.

Prestige:

Mass: