E-commerce sales are on a tear.
Amazon.com had $9.52 billion in sales for the 4th quarter of 2009, up from $6.7 billion for the same quarter in 2008. Profits leaped 71 percent to $384 million. If department stores have tarnished halos, e-commerce sites such as amazon will sell designer fragrances as commodity items.
It will take several years for fragrance inventories to be flushed through the system. Brand equity of designer names are no longer a drawing card, and American consumers are still reeling from a recession and a credit crunch. Lifestyles have been scaled back, and the prestige beauty category is up for grabs.