Arran Aromatics director Janet Russell talks about their new flagship store, Friday September 10 2010
Arran
Aromatics, the Scottish luxury toiletries firm, recently opened
a new 
flagship store on Edinburgh's George Street.
Design Director Janet Russell explains the rationale behind the
expansion...
What does Arran Aromatics do?
We are a family business producing luxury bath and body products
and scented candles that are all made on the Isle of Arran. We
source what we can from the island. For example, we buy the oatmeal
for our soaps from the local baker. What we can't find here we
source from around the world, essential oils for example. We export
to around 30 countries including Russia, Latvia and Italy. The
family moved to Arran in the 1970s and started off in food
manufacturing before setting up Arran Aromatics in 1989.
Why did you decide to open a shop in
Edinburgh?
As the capital city Edinburgh is a key place in
Scotland and draws lots of international visitors. George Street is
a prestigious area and suits the luxury positioning of our brand.
The location means people have a perception of the quality of
product they're going to find before they enter the store. So many
similar products are produced abroad now, so we're proud to be
manufacturing everything here in Scotland.
How do you see the business developing?
Edinburgh is our fifth retail outlet, and we would like to
continue expanding our retail presence. We built up the business by
selling to small independent stores and hotels across Scotland and
the UK, and we continue to open new accounts both here and around
the world. However having our own shops allows us to offer the full
comprehensive collection of all ranges and use our knowledge of the
products to sell directly to customers. We'd like to have more
retail stores in key cities like London, Manchester and
Aberdeen.
