Fragrances for both men and women are sold in a variety of locations, ranging from drugstores to department stores to online retailers. All of these dealers of fragrances carry new and discounted options, but the quality is designed to be the same throughout. Just like clothing sold at outlet stores, fragrances are sold through discounted retailers, as often only the packaging has been damaged slightly but not the actual product. As designer fragrances can be costly, at nearly $50 for a bottle of eau de parfum or cologne, finding a discounted version is more affordable for those who want to be fashion-forward but are limited by a budget.

What exactly counts as a discounted fragrance and why isn't it being sold in stores? In general, when a fragrance is sold at a discount, the packaging has been damaged or the fragrance has been discontinued. Often, online retailers are the place many go to find perfumes that have been discontinued in department stores. Aside from discontinued and hard-to-find older scents, most discounted fragrances come in packaging that has been slightly damaged, such as being scratched or ripped. Inside, however, the bottle is intact and the fragrance still smells the same. If you don't mind battered-looking packaging in some cases, this is the most economical way for finding designer fragrances, as such retailers often sell their products 30 to 50 below retail prices.

The most obvious places to find discounted fragrances are department stores, particularly those designed as outlet stores or those that sell all discounted goods. But stores like this often have a limited selection for fragrances compared to clothing and the next place to turn is the internet. Various online perfume stores carry only discounted designer fragrances for a large selection of manufacturers. Often, such stores have a variety encompassing the latest perfumes and colognes, as well as scents no longer manufactured or hard-to-find older perfumes.