Saks files Chapter 11. Your perfume counter crushes are safe... for now

I was literally spraying Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 on the back of my hand when my phone lit up with the headline: Saks Global filed for bankruptcy protection. Perfume girl meets bankruptcy court. The glamour and the ledger, sharing the same glass counter.

Here is what matters if your weekend religion is an escalator ride to the beauty floor. Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks OFF 5TH, Last Call, and Horchow will stay open. This is Chapter 11, not lights out. It follows the financial strain of that $2.7bn Neiman Marcus acquisition in 2024 and moves through the Southern District of Texas court. Translation for fragrance lovers: the spritzes continue, but the back rooms may get noisier.

Short term, I expect the counters to operate normally. You will still find pillars like Tom Ford Black Orchid, Creed Aventus, Byredo Gypsy Water, and the siren call of KILIAN Paris Love, Don’t Be Shy. The bergamot will bergamot. The roses will rose. But behind the blotters, brands often tighten allocations during restructurings. That can mean hiccups for niche and limited lines. Think Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady refills, certain shades of Chanel Les Exclusifs like Coromandel, or seasonal exclusives that usually arrive in small waves.

Exclusivity deals are another pressure point. Bergdorf’s tightly curated perfume room is a temple for discovery. If terms get renegotiated, some counters could consolidate or shift to online-first. Not a collapse, more a reshuffle. Gift-with-purchase frenzies may look normal one week and strangely quiet the next. If you’ve been circling a bottle you truly love, buy for love, not out of fear, and keep your receipt like a grown-up.

The bigger picture is odd and very American luxury. We spent a decade turning the fragrance hall into a destination, then consolidated the department stores that host it. Now the bill arrives. What survives is what people actually wear. That means bestsellers stick, while fringe SKUs blink in and out. If you spot a unicorn bottle of Baccarat Rouge 540 extrait or a fresh delivery of Aventus in 100 ml, don’t assume there will be three more behind it.

I’ll be walking those counters this week. Real noses, real testers, real talk. The doors are open. The drama is in the stockroom.