Sears' Fragrance Offerings: Exploring The Options For Men's Cologne

Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores. It was founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck. The company began as a mail-ordering catalogue business and opened its first retail store in 1925. Sears has a wide variety of fragrances for men and women, including colognes.

Sears' range of men's colognes

Sears offers a wide range of men's colognes and fragrances, with over 500 options to choose from. Their collection includes fragrances from well-known brands such as:

• Carolina Herrera
• Dolce & Gabbana
• Yves Saint Laurent
• Gucci
• Versace
• Paco Rabanne
• Giorgio Armani
• Prada
• Hugo Boss
• Ralph Lauren
• Dior
• Burberry
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Chanel
• Azzaro
• Guess
• Marc Ecko
• Liz Claiborne
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Jean Paul Gaultier
• English Laundry
• Banana Republic
• Antonio Banderas
• Police Colognes
• FRANCESCA BIANCHI
• Royal Copenhagen
• And many more!

Sears also provides helpful tips on choosing the best men's perfume, explaining the different types of notes and how they interact with the skin. They suggest that factors such as skin type, season, and personal preference can influence the choice between cologne, eau de toilette, or eau de parfum.

Choosing the right cologne

• Understand the notes: A cologne's scent is made up of top notes, middle or heart notes, and base notes. Top notes are fresh and uplifting, lasting up to 2 hours. Middle notes are the core of the cologne, lasting 3 to 5 hours and often including spices or fruity scents. Base notes are bold and long-lasting, with scents like sandalwood, leather, and smoke.
• Choose seasonal scents: Opt for floral, greens, and citrus scents in the summer and spring. For autumn, try sandalwood, patchouli, amber, or oakmoss. In winter, go for leather, spice, vanilla, or cinnamon.
• Consider your environment: If you work in an office, opt for lighter, more subtle colognes. For a night out, you can go for stronger, bolder scents.
• Sample different colognes: Try out different colognes before you buy. You can use sampling subscription services or visit stores that offer small samplers.
• Know the concentration: Colognes come in different concentrations, such as Eau de Cologne, Eau de Toilette, and Eau de Parfum. Choose a lighter option for the office and a stronger Eau de Parfum for a night out.
• Store it properly: Always store your cologne in a cool, dark place, like your bedroom closet, to prevent damage from heat and sunlight.
• Apply it correctly: When applying cologne, keep it simple. One spray on your chest is enough. Apply it after showering, and always apply it to your skin, not your clothing.
• Trust your instincts: Everyone has different preferences, so go with what you think smells good on you. Don't be afraid to ask others for recommendations or consult online communities for advice.

Top perfumes for him

Sears offers a wide range of perfumes for men, with over 500 options to choose from. Here are some of the top perfumes for him:

Daytime Perfumes

Daytime perfumes for men typically feature rejuvenating and uplifting notes such as woody or citrus scents. The Versace Dreamer perfume, for example, is a sharp, oriental, woody fragrance with a blend of wild flowers, linen, amber, and tobacco. It offers a complex and intense aroma right from the first spritz. Other popular choices include fragrances from Gucci, YSL, and Paco Rabanne.

Nighttime Perfumes

On the other hand, nighttime perfumes for men exude sensuality and depth. These perfumes often feature warm and exotic notes such as musk, amber, and spices. The Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio perfume is an enticing and seductive fragrance with strong musk and aquatic notes. Gucci Guilty is another versatile fragrance that can be worn at any time of the day.

Popular Choices

Some popular perfumes for men available at Sears include:

• Carolina Herrera Bad Boy Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
• Gucci Guilty Black Pour Homme Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
• Yves Saint Laurent Y Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
• Dior Sauvage Eau De Parfum for Men
• Ralph Lauren Polo Black Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
• Versace Eros Flame Eau De Parfum Spray for Men
• Chanel Bleu De Chanel Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
• Tommy Hilfiger Freedom Sport Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
• Paco Rabanne One Million Eau De Toilette Spray for Men

Choosing the Right Perfume

When selecting a perfume, it is important to consider the different notes that compose the fragrance. The top notes are the first scents you smell after spraying, and they are usually fresh and uplifting. The heart notes form the main scent of the perfume and linger for several hours. The base notes are slow to evaporate and can last for several days.

Additionally, understanding your skin type is crucial when choosing a perfume. The interaction of a perfume with your skin is unique and can be influenced by factors such as skin pigmentation, natural body odour, and pH level.

Lastly, the concentration of the scent is an important factor to consider. Eau de Cologne has a lower concentration of 5% to 10%, while Eau de Toilette has a concentration of 10% to 15%. If you want a more intense and long-lasting fragrance, opt for Eau de Parfum, which has a concentration of 15% to 20%.

How to pick the best men's cologne

Sears does offer a wide range of men's colognes and perfumes. Here are some tips on how to pick the best men's cologne:

Understand the Different Types of Colognes and Fragrances

Firstly, it is important to understand the difference between colognes, eau de toilette, eau de parfum, and perfume. The main difference lies in the concentration of fragrance oils in the composition, which determines the intensity and longevity of the scent.

• Cologne typically has a lower concentration of fragrance oils, usually between 2-4%, and is often classified as an eau de cologne or EDC with a concentration of 3-5%.
• Eau de Toilette (EDT) has a slightly higher concentration, ranging from 5-15%, and is suitable for daily use as it is more subtle and discreet.
• Eau de Parfum (EDP) contains a higher amount of fragrance oils, typically between 15-20%, resulting in a stronger and more distinctive scent that lasts longer.
• Perfume or Extrait de Parfum has the highest concentration, with 15-30% or even higher amounts of fragrance oils, making it the most intense and long-lasting option.

Know the Fragrance Families and Notes

Fragrances can be categorised into different families such as floral, woody, oriental, leather, fruity, musky, sweet, aromatic, and fresh. Each family has unique characteristics that cater to various preferences. Additionally, understanding the concept of top notes, middle notes, and base notes is crucial. Top notes are the initial scents that evaporate quickly, while middle notes form the heart of the fragrance and linger for several hours. Base notes are slow to evaporate and can last for days, providing the lasting impression of the cologne.

Consider the Occasion and Season

Certain fragrances are more suitable for specific occasions and seasons. For example, fresh and citrusy scents are ideal for daytime use, providing an uplifting and rejuvenating effect. Woody and spicy fragrances are perfect for nighttime as they exude depth and sensuality. During summer, you may opt for stronger fragrances to counteract body odour, while gentler options are sufficient for cooler months.

Choose a Scent That Aligns with Your Personality

Selecting a cologne that aligns with your personality and mood is essential. If you prefer subtlety and lightness, opt for an eau de toilette. On the other hand, an eau de parfum is perfect for making a bold statement. Consider whether you want a signature scent that becomes your identity or a fragrance for special occasions.

Understand How Skin Type Affects Scent

The interaction of a cologne with your skin is unique. Factors such as skin pigmentation, natural body odour, pH level, and the level of water on your skin can influence how a particular fragrance smells on you. Therefore, understanding your skin type is crucial when making a selection to ensure the cologne complements your natural scent rather than clashes with it.

Sears' history

Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck. The company began as a mail-ordering catalogue company, migrating to opening retail locations in 1925, the first of which was in Chicago.

Richard Warren Sears was born in 1863 in Stewartville, Minnesota, to a wealthy family. In 1879, his father died shortly after losing the family fortune in a speculative stock deal. Sears moved across the state to work as a railroad station agent in North Redwood, then Minneapolis. It was here that he started a mail-order watch business in 1886, calling it the R.W. Sears Watch Company. That year, he met Alvah Curtis Roebuck, a watch repairman. In 1887, Sears and Roebuck relocated the business to Chicago, and the company published Richard Sears's first mail-order catalogue, offering watches, diamonds, and jewellery.

In 1889, Sears sold his business for $100,000 ($3 million in 2021 dollars) and relocated to Iowa, planning to be a rural banker. He returned to Chicago in 1892 and established a new mail-order firm, again selling watches and jewellery, with Roebuck as his partner, operating as the A. C. Roebuck watch company. On September 16, 1893, they renamed the company Sears, Roebuck, and Co. and began to diversify the product lines offered in their catalogues.

By 1894, the Sears catalogue had grown to 322 pages, including many new items, such as sewing machines, bicycles, sporting goods and automobiles. By 1895, the company was producing a 532-page catalogue. Sales were over $400,000 ($12 million in 2021 dollars) in 1893 and over $750,000 ($20 million in 2021 dollars) two years later. By 1896, dolls, stoves, and groceries were added to the catalogue.

In 1895, Julius Rosenwald, a wealthy clothing manufacturer, bought out Roebuck's interest and reorganised the mail-order business. Sears, meanwhile, wrote the company's soon-to-be-famous catalogues. The company grew phenomenally by selling a range of merchandise at low prices to farms and villages that had no other convenient access to retail outlets. The initiation of rural free delivery (1896) and of parcel post (1913) by the U.S. Postal Service enabled Sears to send its merchandise to even the most isolated customers.

Rosenwald succeeded Sears as president of the company in 1909. Between 1920 and 1943, Sears owned Encyclopædia Britannica, which it sold through its catalogue. In 1924, Gen. Robert E. Wood joined the company and became its guiding genius for the next 30 years. Wood noted that the automobile was making retail outlets in urban centres more accessible to consumers in outlying suburbs and rural areas. To exploit this opportunity, he opened the first Sears retail store in Chicago in 1925, and the number of stores increased so rapidly that by 1931, retail sales had topped mail-order sales.

The company flourished in the economic boom after World War II and was not seriously challenged as America's largest retailer until the 1980s, when the Kmart Corporation surpassed it in total sales.

In the 1980s, Sears diversified into such businesses as real estate and financial services, but by 1992, Sears began selling off some subsidiaries to concentrate on its lagging core retail operations. It discontinued its general catalogue in 1993 and, in 1995, spun off its largest subsidiary, the Allstate Corporation, an insurance company founded by Sears in 1931.

In 2002, Sears purchased the retailer Lands' End for nearly $2 billion. Three years later, Sears was acquired by Kmart for some $12 billion, and both became subsidiaries of the newly formed Sears Holdings Corporation, the third-largest retailer in the United States. Although Sears Holdings remained prosperous, sales at Kmart and Sears stores continued to decline.

In 2014, Sears Holdings spun off Lands' End. That year, Edward S. Lampert, who controlled nearly 40% of the corporation, bought a controlling stake in Sears Canada, but it closed in 2018. During this time, various Sears stores in the United States were shuttered, and in October 2018, Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In February 2019, a federal judge approved the sale of the holding company to Lampert's hedge fund, ESL Investments, for $5.2 billion.

Frequently asked questions