Parfums Stern Inc

Avon Products, the target of takeover speculation in recent months, said Wednesday that it has agreed to sell its Parfums Stern fragrance unit for $210 million in cash to a company affiliated with Sanofi, a French concern that markets upscale perfumes and beauty products. Parfums Stern handles fragrances, including Oscar de la Renta, Perry Ellis, Uninhibited by Cher and Deneuve.

Sniffing an opportunity to boost its recently sagging sales, clothing retailer Gap Inc. plans to expand its line of perfume and other personal-care products next year in a partnership with Inter Parfums Inc. The San Francisco-based retailer said Tuesday that the product line would be sold at its Banana Republic stores as well its flagship Gap stores. The expansion doesn't involve Gap's discount chain, Old Navy.

Sniffing an opportunity to boost its recently sagging sales, clothing retailer Gap Inc. plans to expand its line of perfume and other personal-care products next year in a partnership with Inter Parfums Inc. The San Francisco-based retailer said Tuesday that the product line would be sold at its Banana Republic stores as well its flagship Gap stores. The expansion doesn't involve Gap's discount chain, Old Navy.

Avon Products, the target of takeover speculation in recent months, said Wednesday that it has agreed to sell its Parfums Stern fragrance unit for $210 million in cash to a company affiliated with Sanofi, a French concern that markets upscale perfumes and beauty products. Parfums Stern handles fragrances, including Oscar de la Renta, Perry Ellis, Uninhibited by Cher and Deneuve.

Avon Products on Friday put up for sale Giorgio Beverly Hills and Parfums Stern, the booming prestige fragrance subsidiaries that it bought with much fanfare in 1987. Proceeds from a sale would be used to reduce Avon's $1-billion debt, much of which was incurred after an ill-fated diversification four years ago into health-care businesses, spokesman John Cox said. Diana K. Temple, an analyst with Salomon Bros.

If Amway Corp. buys Avon Products, it will trade scents for dollars. Amway, that is, will sell Avon's upscale fragrance subsidiaries--Giorgio Beverly Hills and Parfums Stern--if it succeeds in its $2.1-billion takeover bid for Avon. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Amway disclosed Thursday that it would unload its retail units mainly to pay off some of the debt from the proposed deal. For Giorgio and Parfums Stern, a sale would mark the second time they have changed hands in roughly two years.

Avon Products on Friday put up for sale Giorgio Beverly Hills and Parfums Stern, the booming prestige fragrance subsidiaries that it bought with much fanfare in 1987. Proceeds from a sale would be used to reduce Avon's $1-billion debt, much of which was incurred after an ill-fated diversification four years ago into health-care businesses, spokesman John Cox said. Diana K. Temple, an analyst with Salomon Bros.

If Amway Corp. buys Avon Products, it will trade scents for dollars. Amway, that is, will sell Avon's upscale fragrance subsidiaries--Giorgio Beverly Hills and Parfums Stern--if it succeeds in its $2.1-billion takeover bid for Avon. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Amway disclosed Thursday that it would unload its retail units mainly to pay off some of the debt from the proposed deal. For Giorgio and Parfums Stern, a sale would mark the second time they have changed hands in roughly two years.