More than 2,000 new perfumes were launched all around the world in 2016, a high figure that mirrors the progress observed over the past few years. Among them, 41% come from niche perfumery, and 34% from the selective network – a significant shift since 2015. It should also be highlighted that the share of women and men’s perfumes is declining, to the advantage of the “mixed” or “non-positioned” types typical of niche perfumery, which has become the prevailing genre: it now represents 43% of the offering, compared to 17% in 2006.
— Isabelle Ferrand of Cinquième Sens on 2016 fragrance launches. Read more at More launches in niche perfumery than in the selective network in 2016 at Premium Beauty News. (Note that while her figures may not be directly comparable to those of Michael Edwards, his 2015 numbers were not really all that different — he had attributed about 40% of the 2000+ fragrances introduced in 2015 to the "artisan" category, up from something closer to 25% in 2012.)
1) Rose is still the reference flower for many scents, even those who have been gendered as ‘male’.
2) Gourmands are still big! So this explains why Fresh Cream and Noir pour Femme at my local Sephora are always sold out!
3) Fern family? Did the article mean fougere? If so, then yes, it has been kinda making a comeback- but as a sort of unisex perfume – which then makes sense here:
4) “…As for “non-positioned” perfumes, which should now be considered a determining category on the market, the families ranked at the top are Floral (36%) and Woody perfumes (31%). ”
Anecdote is not data, but here in the PDX area, many men and women are turning to smaller niche lines perfumes, some of which are DEFINITELY fougere, This MAY be part part of a wider trend in many metropolitan areas.
Yes — it’s hard to know how many indie lines are included in these counts. I suspect most are not.