Bloomingdale's Bets Big on Luxury Scents with Exclusive Kurkdjian Launch

Bloomingdale's is capitalizing on the luxury fragrance boom with an exclusive early release of "Kurky," the playful new scent from prestigious perfume house Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

The retailer secured a two-week market exclusivity for the March 18 launch, part of its strategy to maintain momentum in the fragrance category that has helped drive three consecutive years of record-breaking beauty sales.

"Beauty is a category Bloomingdale's is very focused on growing substantially," said Elizabeth Miller, the company's VP and divisional merchandise manager for beauty. The retailer aims to differentiate itself through immersive in-store experiences, with plans for window displays along Third Avenue, pop-up installations, and extensive sampling opportunities.

The fragrance market has recently overtaken skincare as the second-largest prestige beauty category, according to Circana data, with double-digit growth in 2024.

Kurky marks a departure from Maison Francis Kurkdjian's typically sophisticated aesthetic, featuring a peach-lacquered bottle adorned with childlike doodles and script. The scent combines tangy tutti-frutti notes with creamy musks in what Jennifer Robinson, the brand's general manager, describes as "a poetic invitation to reveal our inner child."

The perfume has deeply personal origins for Kurkdjian, who initially conceived it as a gift for friends and relatives to celebrate new births, inspired by almond treats he received in his own childhood.

This launch comes as parent company LVMH continues to strengthen its luxury beauty portfolio, with Kurkdjian also serving as in-house perfumer for Christian Dior Parfums. LVMH's perfumes and cosmetics division reported organic sales of 8.42 billion euros last year.