Perfumania and Fragrance Outlet plan a move into malls

The two-brand, value-priced scent chain Perfumania & Fragrance Outlet, found mostly in outlet centers, has hired a top retail real estate advisory to establish its brands.

New York-based RCS Real Estate Advisors has announced signing the retailer as a client with the goal of establishing the 220-store chain into high-traffic malls and other retail centers. Part of the plan for raising the profile of both the Perfumania and Fragrance Outlet brands will be stocking the stores with new authentic designer and proprietary fragrances.

“We’ve created a synergy that positions them for tremendous success,” said RCS’s CEO Ivan Friedman in a press release announcing the new project. “RCS’s depth of industry knowledge and long-standing relationships with major retail property owners will ensure Perfumania and Fragrance Outlet are primed for significant future growth.”

RCS will act as Perfumania & Fragrance Outlet’s outsourced real estate department, handling lease renewals, new leasing opportunities, and addressing day-to-day real estate issues on behalf of its two brands.

"Perfumania & Fragrance Outlet’s partnership with RCS signifies a strategic leap forward and a testament to our business’s growth and maturity,” said Bill Aisenberg, CFO of the two brands. “This collaboration will be critical for expediting our long-term expansion plans."

Perfumania and Fragrance Outlet stores currently operate in 38 states, offering a assortment of 2,000 SKUs that include hard-to-find and limited production women’s and men’s fragrances, as well as accessories. Gucci, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and Burberry are on the shelves in the stores of both retailers, which also sell products online.

Both also feature exclusive scents from brands that include Michael Malul, Camille Rochelle, Gia Lucca, Lomani and Mercedes Benz.

RCS has worked with top retail brands for more than 40 years to help them reduce occupancy costs, attain favorable lease terms, and select the best sites for meeting their expansion goals. The company did not specify how many new stores were intended to be opened in full-price centers.