Among American perfume users, scent and price outweigh brand in fragrance choices

Key findings:

• 45% of American perfume users repurchase one or two favorite scents, while 36% like to try new ones.
• 88% say scent is their top purchase factor, followed by price or value (62%); only 26% consider brand important.
• 57% spent under $50 on their last perfume, with just 4% spending $150 or more.

A perfume can be many things - a small luxury, a gift, or part of a daily ritual. But what drives fragrance choices across the U.S.? YouGov’s latest research explores how Americans wear, buy, and discover perfume, and what matters most when they do, from scent and price to loyalty and value.

According to a recent YouGov survey, nearly three in four Americans (74%) say they use perfume or fragrance, 37% regularly and another 34% occasionally. About one in four (26%) say they don’t use perfume at all.

Most perfume users stick to their favorites

Among Americans who wear perfume regularly or occasionally, 45% say they tend to stick to one or two favorite scents that they repurchase. Over a third (36%) like to experiment and change what they wear regularly, while 17% say they don’t often buy perfume for themselves but may receive or give it as a gift.

Men and women show similar levels of scent loyalty, but women are slightly more likely to experiment (23% vs. 18%), whereas men are more likely to fall into the gifting category (31% vs. 26%).

Scent and price matter most

When it comes to buying perfume, the scent itself dominates as the key factor, chosen by 88% of users overall. Price and value for money (62%) come next. At a very distant third place, brand comes in with 26% of Americans considering it as a factor. Other factors include fragrance recommendations from friends and family (16%), seasonal suitability (16%), and packaging or design (14%). A perfume being limited edition or exclusive in some way, and celebrity and influencer association also feature.

Both women and men prioritize scent (88% vs. 86%), while men are more brand-conscious (32% vs. 22%). Price or value for money are more of a factor for women than men (64% vs. 59%).

Most spend under $50

Among Americans who use perfume regularly or occasionally, most (57%) spent less than $50 on their last fragrance purchase. About three in ten (31%) say they spent under $25, and another 26% spent between $25 and $49. Around one in five (22%) spent between $50 and $99, while 14% say they spent $100–$149. Only 4% report spending $150 or more, showing that high-end purchases remain relatively uncommon.

When it comes to gender differences, women are more likely than men to spend under $25 (36% vs. 24%), while men are slightly more likely to spend $100 or more (22% vs. 16% combined across higher price brackets).

Department stores and online retailers lead the way

Among American perfume users, department stores remain the most common place to buy fragrances, with half (46%) saying their last purchase was made in-store at a department store. Far fewer, just one in ten (11%), bought from a specialist perfumery, while over two in ten (23%) made their purchase online from a retailer. One in ten bought from a brand website (10%), and fewer than 1% say they last bought perfume at a duty-free shop.

When comparing by gender, women are notably more likely than men to buy from department stores (50% vs. 40%). Men, on the other hand, are more likely to buy directly from a brand’s website (15% vs. 8%) or online through retailers (26% vs. 20%), reflecting a slightly greater preference for digital convenience.

In-store sampling drives discovery

Trying scents in person remains the leading way to perfume discovery. Six in ten Americans who are perfume users (60%) say they usually discover fragrances by sampling in-store, far ahead of other methods. Recommendations from friends or family (35%) and samples received with other purchases (29%) follow next, while advertising (17%), social media or influencers (17%), and online reviews (14%) play smaller roles.

Women are more likely than men to sample in-store (63% vs. 55%) and to receive samples through other purchases (34% vs. 22%). More men than women are influenced by advertising (21% vs. 15%) and online reviews (18% vs. 12%), suggesting women engage more directly with fragrance experiences, while men lean more on informational or media-driven sources. Men are also more likely than women to discover new fragrances through recommendations from friends and family (37% vs. 33%).

For most Americans who use perfume, choices are guided by familiarity and personal preference rather than brand or image. Perfume remains a modest but meaningful indulgence, one shaped most by scent, practicality, and routine.

Methodology:

YouGov polled 800 US adults online on November 6, 2025. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, race, political affiliation, education level and region. The margin of error is +/- 3.3% for the overall sample.

Photo by Camille Paralisan on Unsplash