Dive Brief:
- Accessories lifestyle brand Kendra Scott has launched a namesake fragrance collection in time for the holidays, per a release sent to Retail Dive.
- The limited collection of scents — Ruby Musk, Amber Aura and Jade Blossom — debuted Wednesday in all 137 company-owned Kendra Scott stores as well as on the brand’s website.
- Two sizes, including a 75mL Eau de Parfum ($120), as well as 10mL Eau de Parfum ($30), are available at launch.
Dive Insight:
Founded by Kendra Scott in 2002 in Austin, Texas, the brand created a business and identity around its collections of women’s jewelry. It has expanded its assortment with the recent launch of its Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott collection and a men’s collection of jewelry under the Scott Bros. by Kendra Scott brand. The company in April 2022 also launched a line of watches.
“Fragrance has always played a special role in my life — it’s purely transformative,” Scott said in a statement. “Memorable scents have the power to define a mood, bring back a fond memory, and evoke emotion. I always had a vision to add fragrance to our collection. Like jewelry, fragrance is personal, distinct, and a unique accessory to the wearer.”
Kendra Scott launched candles in 2018, which led to the company understanding that its customer was open to fragrance. It still represents a bit of a departure from the brand’s 20-year history of jewelry and various accessories. However, the fragrance collection is projected to yield about $5 million in sales during its first year on the market, per the company.
“We have internal projections for the first year of fragrance solidified, and we will evaluate performance consistently following the launch,” Tom Nolan, chief executive officer, said in an email to Retail Dive. “As a retailer, we evolve our product offering to meet our customer’s changing needs and desires, so customer engagement and feedback will be critical.”
Kendra Scott also announced a partnership with Target this year where the brand will be selling through displays at Target stores in time for the holidays. The brand distributes its products through wholesale partnerships with Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s and more than 850 specialty boutiques.
The company is planning to expand its own footprint as well by opening two more stores this year.
Berkshire Partners in 2017 took a minority stake in Kendra Scott in a deal that valued the brand at about $1 billion. After stepping down as chief executive officer in 2021, founder Kendra Scott still remains the company’s largest shareholder and is active in the business as executive chairwoman and chief creative officer.
