The NPD Group, a market research firm, has released a new report, Women's Fragrance Track 2006. Their key finding? Young women (aged 18-24) "present a huge opportunity for fragrance companies":

According to the report, this age group constitutes the heaviest fragrance users. However, less than 60% of these women have actually purchased a woman's fragrance in the past year. That compares to 63% of women ages 25-34, 62% of women 35-44 and 64% of women ages 45-54 who have purchased women's fragrance products.

This younger age cohort is also doing most of their fragrance buying outside of department stores, and they are buying lots of celebrity fragrances — no surprise there. (via brandweek)