I certainly hope you know Bloomingdales. If you don't, then obviously I'm not doing my job correctly.
The first thing I would like to share with you is that 1987 is going to be a wonderful, wonderful fragrance year. There is great news--fragrance business is having an absolute boom at Bloomingdale's, and I think that those of you who created them should have an excellent round of applause.
We like to think that we represent the best in the fragrance industry. We are the showcase for trends, for exclusives, what’s new, what’s not, and what is to come. We no longer represent New York City alone, yet we are stiIl synonymous with special New York words—words like drama, excitement and theater, in all our markets. This is part of our signature status in selling fragrance. Our customers look to us for the pulse on fragrance, for absolute authority and fashion leadership.
The word “fashion” is a very, very important word now in the fragrance business. Fragrance has truly become a fashion business. Gone is a single brand loyalty. A current trend is the use of many, many brands. Just as a woman chooses an outfit from Chanel, from Calvin Klein, from Ungaro, Yves St. Laurent or Ralph Lauren, to make a personal statement for an immediate image as she enters the room, so she does with her fragrance as well. Her choice of fragrance is to evoke a subliminal message of fragrance in announcing her mood, her image, and her personality. This message would certainly change if this woman is at a romantic dinner or if she is in a corporate professional meeting.