Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The Insights
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- Figure 1: Product usage in past 12 months, November 2019
- The aging population will pose a challenge to the industry, but youthful enthusiasm should help sustain the market
- Retail choice is varied, and shifts with format purchase
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- Figure 2: Retailers shopped for air care purchases, by format, November 2019
- The Opportunities
- Health and wellness have an important role to play in air care
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- Figure 3: Reasons for air care product usage increase since last year, November 2019
- Natural products and purified air help to soften concern over chemical exposure
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- Figure 4: Reasons for air care product usage decrease since last year, November 2019
- There’s an appetite for varied scents, with seasonally relevant scents being a large motivator for new purchases
- High tech air care does not yet resonate, but consumers will be quicker to embrace innovations which improve health and reduce pollution
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- Figure 5: Interest in air care innovations, November 2019
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Cleaner, greener lifestyles are impacting product choices
- Aromatherapy benefits are becoming more accepted and are in demand
- Air care marketers will need to find ways to connect with Canada’s aging population
Market Factors
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- Consumers are demanding healthier, more natural products
- Product health benefits are increasingly important to consumers
- Aromatherapy benefits are being leveraged
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- Figure 6: Febreze Small Spaces Sleep Serenity Moonlit Lavender (Canada), February 2016
- Figure 7: Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief Vanilla Verbena (Canada), May 2012
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- Figure 8: Aromed Aromatherapy Biologische Vetiver (Organic Vetiver) Oil (Netherlands), February 2019
- Health concerns are linked to environmental concerns
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- Figure 9: Product launches with environmentally friendly claim, North America 2015 vs 2019, January 2020
- Nostalgia adds to the ambiance of air care
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- Figure 10: Air Wick Life Scents Freshmatic Mom's Baking (Canada), May 2017
- Figure 11: Dairy Queen Instagram Post, August 2019
- Canada’s aging population is a concern for air care
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- Figure 12: Population aged 0-14 and 65+, 1995-2035*
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Ingredient concerns may limit growth opportunities
- Scent substitution could pose a threat to air care
- Consumers are drawn to experiences, not just scents
- Customized options are a way to connect with consumers and fulfill their scent wishes
- Seasonality is a strong motivator for candle purchase
What’s Fresh?
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- Air care needs to be treated as an experience, not just a workhorse
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- Figure 13: Air Wick Life Scents Touch & Glow Turquoise Oasis (Canada), March 2016
- Consumers are hooked on a feeling
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- Figure 14: White Barn Paris Café (USA), July 2017
- Seasonality continues to be a driver, particularly among older consumers
- Healthy homes are a part of the clean living trend
What’s Stale?
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- Scented products in adjacent categories pose a threat
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- Figure 15: Clorox Floral Scent Kitchen Cleaner & Disinfectant (Canada), February 2018
- Co-marketing may provide an opportunity to combat scent-swapping
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- Figure 16: Febreze Unstopables fabric refresher (USA), June 2015
- Figure 17: Febreze Unstopables fresh fragranced air refresher (Canada), April 2015
- Air care products will need to meet specific needs to protect against scent creep
- Ingredient concerns may limit use of air care
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- Figure 18: Canadian Trees Essential Oils (Canada), January 2020
What’s Next?
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- Demand for purified air is likely to grow
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- Figure 19: Bio Spectra Attitude Passion Fruit (Canada), August 2019
- Figure 20: The Body Shop Basil & Thyme (Canada), November 2019
- Scents as an experience are becoming more important to consumers
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- Figure 21: Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen Instagram Post, November 2017
- Figure 22: Sterling Candle Instagram Post, July 2018
- Candle subscriptions and customization of scents enhance the air care experience
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- Figure 23: Wickbox Instagram Post, December 2019
- Figure 24: Birthdate Candle Instagram Post, June 2019
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Younger consumers should be leveraged to maintain and grow the category
- Air care is used to create a feeling, as well as remove odors
- Consumers are using a wide range of retailers for their air care purchases
- Clean air is becoming a greater concern
- Air care innovations will need to communicate convenience or health benefits in order to be embraced by consumers
Product Usage
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- Category participation is high, with aerosols and sprays playing a key role
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- Figure 25: Product usage in past 12 months, November 2019
- Air care users are using a small repertoire of products
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- Figure 26: Repertoire of air care product usage, November 2019
- Men are taking a more passive approach to air care
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- Figure 27: Product usage in past 12 months, by gender, November 2019
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- Figure 28: Repertoire of air care product usage, by gender, November 2019
- Younger consumers are engaged and are driving the car air care market
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- Figure 29: Product usage in past 12 months, by age, November 2019
- Parents depend on air care for odor control but are concerned about health risks
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- Figure 30: Bio Spectra Attitude Little Ones Natural Air Purifier (Canada), December 2019
- South Asians have a strong connection with air care products
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- Figure 31: Product usage in past 12 months, South Asians vs overall, November 2019
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- Figure 32: Repertoire of air care product usage, South Asians, November 2019
- From discount to luxury, there’s an air care product to fit the budget
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- Figure 33: Airwick’s Water Iris & Purple Berries Scented Candle (UK), February 2016
- Figure 34: La Maison en Perfums Iris (France), December 2016
- Figure 35: Diptyque Instagram post, March 2018
Changes in Air Care Usage
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- Air Care Usage vs Last Year
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- Figure 36: Change in air care product usage since last year, November 2019
- Those heavily involved with the category are becoming even more engaged
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- Figure 37: Avon Inspirations Gift Set (UK), December 2006
- Figure 38: Change in air care product usage since last year, by number of air care products used past 12 months, November 2019
- Young consumers are increasing their use, while the opposite is true of older consumers
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- Figure 39: Change in air care product usage since last year, by age, November 2019
- Parents will prove to be an important segment for the category
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- Figure 40: Change in air care product usage since last year, by parental status, November 2019
Motivations for Increasing Air Care Usage
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- Function and Feel play equally important roles
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- Figure 41: Reasons for air care product usage since last year, November 2019
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- Figure 42: Reasons for air care product usage increase since last year, by gender, November 2019
- Air care use is equal parts function and feeling
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- Figure 43: SKYKreation Instagram post, September 2019
- Customers are keen to try new scents, especially as the seasons change
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- Figure 44: Yves Rocher At the Heart of Pine Trees candle (Canada), November 2019
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- Figure 45: ABC Distributing Four Season Scent Reed Diffusers (Canada), October 2008
- Consumers are seeking health benefits from their air care products
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- Figure 46: Free Ethos Christmas Joy Candles, December 2019
- New formats appeal to parents
Reasons for Decreased Air Care Usage
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- A focus on ‘natural’ is threatening the air care category
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- Figure 47: Reasons for air care product usage decrease since last year, November 2019
- Figure 48: Reasons for air care product usage decrease since last year, by gender, November 2019
- Clean air is a focus for a small number, but this group is likely to grow
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- Figure 49: Febreze Tower Grey Air Purifier FHT190V – How It Works, June 2016
- Figure 50: Febreze OdorGrab Air Cleaner, January 2019
- Consumers may need a reminder to be scent-confident
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- Figure 51: Are you #Noseblind? Try Febreze Fabric Refresher, October 2016
- Cost is not a big factor in air care
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- Figure 52: Baobab Instagram post, November 2019
Retailers Shopped
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- Consumers are choosing different retailers based on air care format
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- Figure 53: Retailers shopped for air care purchases, by format, November 2019
- Younger consumers are more likely to visit specialty retailers for their air fresheners
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- Figure 54: Retailers shopped for air freshener purchases, 18-44 vs over-45s, November 2019
- Online sales may be hindered by a lack of ‘scent preview’
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- Figure 55: Rustico’s Énergie Vitale (Canada), April 2019
- Parents are shopping at a wider variety of retailers for their air care products
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- Figure 56: Retailers shopped for air care purchases, by parental status, November 2019
- Gift giving plays a role in the air care category
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- Figure 57: Custom Candle Workshop Instagram Post, November 2019
- Figure 58: Yankee Candle My Favorite Things Volume 3 (US), December 2013
Candle Shopping Attitudes
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- Mass brands vs premium offer
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- Figure 59: Voluspa Maison Blanc Candle Assortment (US), August 2019
- Figure 60: Attitudes regarding candle shopping, by age, November 2019
- Consumers are still searching for scents with which to connect
- Seasonality is an important driver in candle purchases
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- Figure 61: Attitudes regarding seasonal candle shopping, by age and gender, November 2019
Innovations in Air Care
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- Trial of innovations is relatively low, but consumers are open to air care developments that provide benefits in addition to odor control
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- Figure 62: Interest in air care innovations, November 2019
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- Figure 63: Vellabox Instagram post, December 2019
- Air care innovations appeal more strongly to younger consumers
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- Figure 64: Usage of air care innovations, by age, November 2019
- Men have more experience using air care innovations
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- Figure 65: Usage of air care innovations (select), by gender, November 2019
- Tech innovations will have more difficulty being accepted by consumers
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- Figure 66: Usage of and interest in technology-based air care innovations, by gender, November 2019
- South Asians are a receptive audience for updates to air care
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- Figure 67: Usage of tech-related air care innovations, South Asians vs overall, November 2019
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations
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