The sweet smell of success has arrived in a new Newcastle City Centre store — where customers can create their own scents.
House of Scents, in Eldon Gardens, specialises in high-end perfumes for men and women.
And in addition, visitors can create their own individual scent based on their lifestyle, likes and personality.
The boutique store is the brainchild of postgraduate Ash Kapur, who left her native India to settle in Newcastle when she was just 16.
After gaining her Masters degree, Ash took on a series of part-time jobs before focusing on starting her own business.
The idea of bringing rare and exclusive perfumes to Newcastle came about when she was on honeymoon in India with husband Gaurav.
She said: “We visited a perfumery in India that allowed us to make our own personal perfume to reflect our personalities.
“We created four different essences and tested the market on family and friends when we got back home and were amazed at how popular they were.
“After a lot of studying and more market research, we found the ideal premises to set up the boutique in Eldon Gardens.”
The shop stocks perfumes that aren’t easy to find in the North East such as Creed and Bond No9, and also a selection of mainstream products that can be found on the High Street.
Ash added: “I wanted the store to be a unique retail experience and not just another perfume store. By blending good interior design and decoration of the boutique with the range of perfumes we carry, I think we have something that the public of Newcastle will enjoy coming to.”
The business has taken on additional staff to meet the demand for personalised individual service.
Ash said: “We carry out a lifestyle survey that helps us to determine the best aroma for that person.
“Everyone is different and we appreciate that smell is a very important part of helping people to feel confident and happy in their lives.
“We even have a special blindfold test so that we can be absolutely sure that our customer is choosing the right perfume without any outside distractions or preconceptions about the shape of the bottle or the marketing collateral that goes into each mainstream perfume.”
Ash’s future plans include developing a special bridal package where a unique scent is made for the bride and her bridesmaids as well as introducing a loyalty scheme for her customers.
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