Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/122387
r e t a i l i n g t o d a y Dollars and scents Perfumania hoPes a new store design will sPeed its growth By Beth Mattson-Teig P erfume retailing is as competitive as any other business, with both traditional stores and online sellers chasing the same fragrance-buying dollars. and yet perfumania seems to have come out smelling like a rose. the company is pushing a new store design as it expands, having rolled out 20 stores last year to bring the total count to 350 across 38 states and puerto rico, plus its first store in the u.s. virgin islands. the company is eyeing canada too. "We hope to make a determination on whether or not we can move forward 78 SCt / m a y 2 0 1 3 on [canada expansion] by the second quarter of this year," said Jason richter, the company's vice president of real estate. initially, the company would target toronto and then move west, he says. "if we get the green light on canada, then those first stores would likely open in 2014." perfumania's highest concentration of stores is in florida, where it operates 55. texas is next, where the company has 42, followed by california, with 27, and new York and puerto rico, where it operates 20 stores each. the outer boroughs of new York city in particular have potential, richter says, as does puerto rico. perfumania's goal is to open about 10 to 20 stores every year, and as of march the company already had commitments for about 10 this year. the stores carry between 2,000 and 3,000 stock-keeping units. the core business comprises a variety of international fragrance brands for both men and women, including an assortment of designer and celebrity names, such as Burberry, coach, giorgio armani, issey miyake and tommy Bahama. But the stores also carry ancillary cosmetics and beauty supplies. one thing that sets perfumania apart flows from its 2012 acquisition of parlux fragrances, which owns, licenses and manufactures such celebrity fragrance brands as rihanna and Jessica simpson. the company also owns five star fragrance group, which manufactures snooki, flight by michael Jordan and many others. these subsidiaries enable perfumania to leverage relationships and promote celebrity appearances at stores. snooki — nicole polizzi,