Reaching For The Masses: EstA[c]e Lauder Cos. Scent To Launch At Wal-Mart.

Byline: Molly Prior and Julie Naughton

Reaching for the Masses: EstA[c]e Lauder Cos. Scent To Launch at Wal-Mart

The EstA[c]e Lauder Cos. Inc., the stalwart luxury beauty firm and department stores' most dominant ally, has linked arms with a surprising new distribution partner Wal-Mart.

The firm's Aramis and Designer Fragrances division will take its first direct step into the women's mass market fragrance category with a trio of scents under the C-Thru moniker. The high-end beauty company plans to launch the scents as a set in Wal-Mart this December, and later roll them out to Kohl's, Target and other mass retailers in January. At full rollout, the scents will be sold in about 10,000 doors in North America.

While executives declined to discuss sales projections, industry sources estimated that C-Thru would do upward of $10 million in retail sales in its first year in North America. Sources estimated that the brand's advertising and promotional budget will top $4 million.

Decades ago, news of a Wal-Mart tie-up would have rattled the chandeliers in …