SKOPOS - Internet research / panels



TNS Research Looks at the Sweet Smell of Europeans
16/3/01



Only a quarter of Britons claim to "have a problem with underarm odour", according to a new survey by the Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) European Toiletries and Cosmetics Database (ETCD). This compares to favourably to over half of people in France (57%) and Spain (54 %) who admitted to having a problem.

The findings also reveal that significantly more Britons use deodorants than their European counterparts. Almost nine out of ten (87%) of Britons use some form of deodorant, compared with only eight out of ten (80%) of Germans and around three quarters of people in France, Italy and Spain. In terms of format, sprays are still the favoured deodorant product delivery type across all countries surveyed, except in Spain, where contact format (roll-ons, sticks and creams) have traditionally been more popular.

Other key findings from the data include:



  • More than nine out of ten of UK women use a deodorant.
  • Eight out of ten men UK men use one.
  • More than half (51%) of all European women use a roll on/stick/cream deodorant.
  • Just over a third (33 %) of all European men use one.


According to Alex Seron, Account Manager for TNS Consumer Usage Panels division, "Higher deodorant usage in Britain can, in part, be explained by a greater concern about underarm body odour and perspiration than in other European countries. Certainly, the media images of a sweat-drenched Tony Blair in a blue shirt at last year’s Labour Party Conference helped to reinforce this concern. On the other hand, perspiration may be considered more natural and, therefore more acceptable, in countries such as Italy and France, where it is often more closely associated with traditional images of masculinity." Seron added "At the same time, whilst sprays are still the favoured deodorant type in most countries surveyed, it appears that contact deodorants - such as roll-ons and sticks - are increasing their market share, especially with the launch of new brands in this market sector. The trend is predominantly driven by women who are increasingly looking for new and more effective ways of controlling perspiration, particularly in the workplace." These findings are based on TNS European Toiletries and Cosmetics Database. The research has been conducted on a continuous basis on a sample of 14,000 adults annually since January 1995. The five countries surveyed are Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.