Answers to that familiar question, “What smells so good?” are no longer limited to favorite foods.

Origins is expanding its offering of aromatherapy products designed to appeal to the youth market.

With the latest incarnation of the cocooning trend here in the U.S., that aroma might just as easily be citrus, field flowers or ocean breezes, as more consumers than ever seek to add refreshing, soothing or energizing scent to their home environments.

Traditional methods such as spraying a fragranced air freshener or lighting scented candles have been joined by plugging-in electric air fresheners or using a variety of diffusion systems for natural aroma therapeutic essential oils as homebodies explore ways to improve the scent of home.

Nose News Is Good News
While the business consulting firm, Little Falls, NJ-based Kline & Company, reported that the U.S. home fragrance market tallied a modest four percent increase in 2001 with retail sales of $2.3 billion, it noted that “consumer interest did pick up at the end of 2001, helping candle sales and other home fragrance products, which have been sluggish. Diffuser products led the category with 21 percent sales gains for the year.”

Bath & Body Works offers a variety of home aromatherapy products.

Lenka Contreras, group director of Kline & Company, commented, “While nesting has affected growth of the home fragrance market for several years, it became a larger factor after 9-11.” This opinion has marketers scurrying to find new ways to capture consumers’ attention and boost growth of fragrance products for home use in 2002.

According to a newly released report published by Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, “Sales of home fragrance products are expected to increase by 24 percent and top $3.4 billion by 2006.” The study credits innovations in new fragrances and a steady increase in the popularity of air freshener products with keeping the market moving forward in spite of the recent economic downturn.

Euromonitor International, the leading global market research analyst, is also looking for increases. It forecasts that the category of air fresheners (including spray/aerosol air fresheners, electric air fresheners, scented candles and car air fresheners) to trend up 17.8 percent in worldwide sales for the five year period 2001-2006. Euromonitor estimates that the electric plug-in air freshener type of product will continue a growth track recorded from 1997 to 2001 of 105 percent that resulted in sales of $944 million by the end of the period. Electric plug-ins are expected to be the largest segment of the home fragrance business by 2006, reaching global sales well beyond $1.4 billion, according to Euromonitor. In the U.S. market, sales of electric air freshener products are expected to rise 64 percent in the five year period to $835 million to capture over half of all category sales by 2006.

New Names Join Market Leaders
The home fragrance scene is heating up as more players step into the arena dominated by big brand companies like S.C. Johnson & Son Inc., Reckitt Benckiser and the Dial Corporation. These three companies controlled 89 percent of total U.S. mass distribution air freshener sales for the 52 week period ending in late May, according to Information Resources Inc., Chicago, IL. Reckitt Benckiser was the clear all-around winner with a 69 percent increase in 2001, chipping away at S.C. Johnson’s leading market position.

Claire Burke will launch a new, contemporary look for its home fragrance line this fall.

With consumers’ renewed interest in scenting their environment, the stage has been set for more companies to forge ahead. Brand names like Ambi-Pur from Sara Lee Corp., Colonial At Home from Blyth and Claire Burke of Belae Brands, as well as retailers such as The Yankee Candle Company, Bath & Body Works and The White Barn Candle Company (both part of the LimitedBrands family), are offering consumers a variety of products and shopping choices. Other names making news in the market include Aroma Naturals, L’Occitane en Provence, Floris and Kneipp as well as Prima Fleur, Kiss My Face AiREA and Essence of Vali—to name just a few. All in all, there is more being offered to spark consumer interest and help boost home fragrance sales in virtually every avenue of distribution.

Prestige Brands Get Face Lift
An old favorite will have a new atitude this fall as Belae Brands unveils a contemporary image including new packaging, products and fragrances for the 45-year-old Claire Burke brand. “The new packaging is more sophisticated and simplistic—it has vibrant photography and a modern design. Overall, there’s a more contemporary look and feel to the entire line, giving a whole new look to Claire Burke,” said Steve Childs, general manager of the brand. The goal is to attract more contemporary consumers with new products such as Claire Burke’s Electric Fragrance Warmer, which is available in six fall/holiday fragrances with a soft lighting effect.

Colonial Candle is also taking strides to capture home scenting market share with the recent introduction of Kate’s Bloomin’ Essence, a decorative electric wall plug designed to “Fill Your Home with Wonderful Fragrances.”

Coordinated with the ten most popular fragrances sold under the Kate’s brand of fragranced candles, Bloomin’ Essence promises to continuously deliver scent and soft light for up to eight weeks. According to Colonial Candle, it works easily with either vertical or horizontal electric outlets and will not block the second plug entry.

Scent Products Multi-Task
Sara Lee Corp. caters to consumers’ penchant for two-in-one products with its Ambi-Pur LiquiFresh, said to be the first combined action liquid air freshener and toilet bowl cleaner. The fragrance line-up continues to multiply addressing the need to freshen the entire bathroom with a bouquet of scents that diffuse naturally, flush after flush. Modern packaging, convenient use and mass distribution have been combined in hopes of making Ambi-Pur a household name.

Potpourri and Scented Sprays
Ease of use is important to reach younger consumers, who are readily adopting products like natural scented potpourri mixtures and fragranced room sprays (often used to refresh pillows, sheets and towels). Kline & Company expects these categories to grow as young shoppers are attracted to smell-good alternatives. Youth-oriented manufacturers like Origins and Kiss My Face have broadened their offerings with aroma therapeutic home fragrance products rich in soothing, comforting naturals. A night time spritz of Origins Sleep Perchance to Dream promises “to guide you to the land of nod” and Kiss My Face’s AiREA Anti-Stress Room Spray offers a natural “Soul Soother.” Product design and packaging are as contemporary as the product names to entice a youthful audience.

Product Challenges for Packaging
Packaging room fresheners is often challenging as certain fragrance ingredients, such as d-limonene (present in the peel of citrus fruits), can cause problems. According to Rexam Dispensing Systems, Purchase, NY, d-limonene can be absorbed by the plastic material of critical pump components, causing the mechanism to swell and stop functioning. Rexam has recently introduced spray pump components that are highly resistant to such compatibility problems. “Introducing this new material presents exciting possibilities for room freshener fragrances with citrus notes,” said Vin Taby, Rexam Dispensing Systems’ vice president innovation and technical development.

Effective Point-of-Purchase Key
In today’s shopping atmosphere, effective in-store merchandising is essential for all brands and retailers. The Yankee Candle Company has recently created impact at point-of-sale with prominent displays of their wide-ranging home fragrance products at big box specialty stores including Linens ‘N Things and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Brad-Pak offers glass containers in a variety shapes and sizes for candles.

As important as the visual aspect of showcasing product are the practical concerns of creating packaging that is stackable and that offers UV damage-control features. This is especially critical for scented, colored candles. Glass containers are one alternative that many brands favor and suppliers like Brad-Pak, Garwood, NJ, and New High Glass, Miami, FL, provide a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Metal provides another protective solution for containing candles affordably. The Cosmetic Packaging Group, O. Berk Company, Union, NJ, recommends its tin candle containers with rolled “safety edges” as the latest, best alternative.

Aroma Naturals has patented its pillar packaging.

Packaging Pillars for Fashion and Function
For pillar candle manufacturers such as Aroma Naturals, which is known for its 100 percent natural aroma therapeutic products, the challenges of shipping and merchandising product to maximize sales and minimize returns are top-of-mind. Aroma Naturals set out to solve the problems of fading, chipping, fragrance “leaking,” and the dust collecting dilemma of selling candles at retail. The solution was so unique, that Tommy Dionisio, chief operating officer of the company, said, “We patented it.” The company’s candles are now housed in a protective, transparent frosted box container supplied by Transparent Container of Berkley IL with a plastic “hat and foot” for shock absorption provided by Ivex/Pactuco, Lompoc, CA. Each individual aroma is identified with its own descriptive sleeve on the candle to differentiate the scent. The added bonus of the protective box is lasting product freshness as the natural essential oils, which are more volatile than synthetic scented ingredients, are kept safely locked within the outer packaging.

Aromatic Oils Need Special Care
UV protection is also a concern for 100 percent natural aroma therapeutic essential oils, which are considered by many to be ideal for their soothing, relaxing properties when diffused into the air. L’Occitane en Provence utilizes metal containers to lock in freshness and make a signature statement, evoking richness and cachét to enhance the brand’s image.

Metal also sends a luxury message, according to Steven Nussbaum, director of marketing for Cosmetic Packaging Group, O. Berk. “Metal containers connote luxury to the consumer, whether it is silver or gold—instantly differentiating the product on a crowded shelf,” Nussbaum stated. As aromatherapy product offerings grow in popularity, O. Berk continues to add to its aluminum collection, which Nussbaum said, is ideal for protective outer packaging.

American suppliers are also choosing protective colored glass (usually shades of blue or brown) for the packaging of the essential oil itself. Brad-Pak has recently introduced True-Pour, a collection of UV resistant bottles in cobalt blue and amber brown. Available in a complete range of shapes and sizes, these are recommended for the packaging of light-sensitive aroma therapeutic essential oils.

Future Forecast: Sunny Sales
The future looks bright for home fragrances, especially those with natural ingredients, as consumers seek to create a healthier, scent-sensational home environment. Environmentally friendly scented soy wax candles that promise to be safer than synthetic wax and less expensive than beeswax, are expected to burn brightly in the homes of those in-the-know consumers, who drive new trends. A category that offers the practical aspect of pleasant fragrances for kitchen and bath, as well as aroma therapeutic benefits can hardly fail as it appeals to a wide range of shoppers—virtually anyone who lives indoors.