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Browsing by tag: brick n mortar store

Hall of Fame

Posted by Robin on 18 February 2026 Leave a Comment

The Fragrance Foundation has revealed its annual Hall of Fame honoree. 

The industry organization will be inducting Nordstrom Inc., which is celebrating its 125th anniversary, to its hall of fame. The event will take place at the annual Fragrance Foundation Awards on June 11 in New York.

— Read more in Nordstrom Inc. Is the Fragrance Foundation’s 2026 Hall of Fame Honoree at Women's Wear Daily.

The Beauty Hall has both a historic relevance as well as modern one. It was part of the Oxford Street store’s original configuration in 1909 and was inspired by Parisian retailers selling make-up and fragrance on counter tops in the early 20th century. But Harry Gordon Selfridge was the first to bring beauty to the most prominent position as the first thing visitors would see when they entered the ground floor, setting the blueprint for department stores worldwide.

— Read more (and see pictures) in Selfridges unveils restored Fragrance Hall at Fashion Network.

The gateway to luxury

Posted by Robin on 16 January 2026 Leave a Comment

The largest unsecured creditor in the Saks Global bankruptcy is Chanel, which is owed $136 million — more than twice what the retailer owes its next biggest creditor. A Chanel spokesperson was not immediately available to comment. The amount caught many by surprise, though, given that the brand’s business with Saks Global was believed to be on a largely concession basis.

— Read more in A $900M Promise to Amazon and 4 Other Takeaways From the Saks Bankruptcy at Women's Wear Daily.

Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom, the two other luxury national retailers left standing, are sensing opportunity. Nordstrom has hired a number of Saks and Neiman employees, and Bloomingdale’s has been wooing luxury brands like Chanel, Chloé and Burberry and increasing their floor space.

— Read more in What Does the Saks Bankruptcy Mean for Shoppers? at The New York Times.

“The Saks bankruptcy isn’t really about luxury declining. It’s about the department store model overall struggling,” said Jenna Rennert, a contributing editor at Vogue. “Department stores really used to be the gateway to luxury,” she said. “Today, they’re kind of the middleman that luxury brands no longer need.”

— Read more in Why Saks collapsed while the rest of luxury retail is growing at NBC.

Saks Global has filed for bankruptcy protection

Posted by Robin on 14 January 2026 2 Comments

Saks Global has filed for bankruptcy protection after collapsing under the financial strain of its US$2.7bn acquisition of department store chain Neiman Marcus in 2024.

The luxury US retailer commenced voluntary Chapter 11 cases in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas to facilitate its ongoing transformation.

Department stores Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks OFF 5TH, Last Call and Horchow will all remain open for trading during this period.

— Read more in Saks Global files for bankruptcy under financial strain of Nieman [sic] Marcus takeover at Cosmetics Business. 

Heading to bankruptcy court

Posted by Robin on 10 January 2026 6 Comments

Indeed most of the chains [Saks Global executive chairman and newly appointed CEO Richard] Baker has touched in the last two decades have failed—and reports over the weekend suggest the Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman luxury department stores that he brought together in a 2024 deal that created Saks Global could be heading to bankruptcy court soon. (The company had been known as Hudson’s Bay Company for years, but switched to Saks Global when Baker spun out Saks and bought its arch-rival Neiman.)

— Read more in How a real estate scion’s risky dealmaking pushed Saks Global to the brink at Fortune.

313 Cameron Street

Posted by Robin on 9 January 2026 Leave a Comment

A new perfume boutique with an emphasis on niche fragrances is opening on Cameron Street in Old Town next week.

Arielle Shoshana will officially open its doors at 313 Cameron Street next Wednesday, Jan. 14, with a ribbon cutting scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Alyia Gaskins will be in attendance, the business announced this morning (Thursday).

— Arielle Shoshana is moving from Fairfax to Alexandria (both in Virginia). Read more in New ‘niche’ fragrance boutique plans Old Town debut, ribbon cutting next week at ALX Now.

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