The scent of a man

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Colognes, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, after-shave, perfume, sprays… a few things that can be easily found in a man’s wardrobe. Please note that we are not just talking about the metrosexuals here. We are talking about the average urban male who is not just conscious about the way he looks, but also about the way he smells. “There are a lot of grooming products for men in the market today. And perfumes are an indispensable part of grooming. Today, men are expected to be better groomed… and why not… they have all the right to be,” Yatan Ahluwalia of Y&E Style Media says emphatically. Not many would opt to disagree with him — it is definitely a feel-good factor that men want for their own selves.

Few would think that men want to smell good to attract women. We can safely excuse the creative brains that have been exploiting the philosophy endlessly for advertisements. Though there is no denying that the sense of smell is certainly a key causative factor in determining the chemistry between two people. When Boston-based internet-dating site ScientificMatch.com founder, Eric Holzle wanted to test this hypothesis, he decided to take the genetic route. Give him a cheque for $1,995 and a swab taken from the inside of your cheek to find you a scientific match. Holzle is drawing on a decade-old research by Claus Wedekind who found that women sniff out mates with genes for immunity that differ from their own. An interesting way to find biological compatibility?

So, don’t miss the olfactory cues and wear the right ‘spirit’. “Nearly 60% of the perfume market in India is hogged by women. Men’s education probably started in the post Old Spice era …after the 80s,” says Sanjeev Nayyar, vice president, Alcome perfumes. Fragrance consultant Danny Ventura has no reason to disagree with him. “Men are definitely not the majority of the lot. But now they too want to smell and feel good… they are demanding fragrances to define their individuality,” he says. Instrumental in the success of renowned brands such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake, and Narciso Rodriguez lines of fragrances and body products, Ventura is very optimistic about the Indian market. “Out of India’s 250 million strong Indian middle class, only 30 million use fragrances. The scope of the market, therefore, is big,” he says.

Must be. Most international perfume brands can now be found on Indian shelves — Dior, YSL, Azzaro, J Bogart, Boucheron, Cartier, Rochas, Paco Rabanne, Escada, Lacoste. Name it and you, most likely, will find it there.

“True. You’ll get the premium ones like Gucci, Hugo Boss, Austin Reed; the semi premium ones like Agatha Ruiz De La Prada, Adolfo Dominguez, Anna Sui, Naomi Campbell; and even for the masses …say Jeanne-Arthes, Puig Mass, Euroluxe. The retail perfume segment is estimated to be around Rs 500 crore. In fact, the segment for men’s care, though growing at 12%, is often underestimated,” says Naresh Gurnani, group general manager, MKP Distributors. One of the leading distribution and marketing companies for luxury products, MKP has major brands like Hugo Boss, Gucci, Mont Blanc, Alfred Dunhill etc under its portfolio. Gurnani has all the reasons to vouch for the retail boom: “Response to both our Parfum Boutiques has been very encouraging. We are planning to open eight more boutiques by the end of this year. Apart from the four metros, we’ll also enter Ahmedabad, Goa and Bangalore.”

Though there is little documented evidence about this segment in the market, independent voices can help discern the trend. “In the past two years the fragrance market for men, I can say that for my brand with certainty, has risen by at least 20%,” says Deepti Sharma, brand head, L’Occitane. The brand, incidentally, doesn’t stock EDPs because they are highly concentrated. Their EDTs are however a hit. “Most of our clients are middle-aged professionals and colognes, shower gels, and EDTs are what they ask for most,” she adds.

Alcome too is opening a production unit in Noida. “With the capacity for four lakh bottles a day, it will be India’s largest fragrance facility. We will also shortly launch a body spray to replace the deos. It will cost you just a dollar,” says Nayyar, adding that “Alcome hopes to garner a profit of Rs 25 crore from Indian shores in the first year.” Curious to know if Indian men have different preferences? “Indian women prefer tangy over floral. But men all over the world prefer alcoholic spicy fragrances,” says Nayyar and adds: “Of three people buying perfumes, one of them will settle for an Alcome.”

With over 600 products in its kitty, Alcome is now planning to cash in on the mass market in India. “Hugo Boss costs $150. Alcome’s version of Hugo Boss costs just $15. I bet you can’t tell the difference. Thank Grasse. That’s where all perfumes source their oils. Only the bottling is done elsewhere,” he reasons. But doesn’t the luxury tag translate well as a unique selling proposition? “Perfumes, unlike other luxury tangibles, cannot be seen. People can only smell what you wear. And so people are likely to buy what smells good, irrespective of the brand,” Nayyar says confidently.

Aigner brand manager Rekha Arora agrees. “Our men’s range is more popular than the women’s. In fact, Indian women like the men’s range better and often pick those up for use.” Like Aigner, The Body Shop too has an exclusive range formulated for men. “From spicy to woody, contemporary green to citrus, the range offers all kind of notes to men,” says The Body Shop spokesperson.