The Fragrance Shop

History of The Fragrance Shop

Sanjay Vadera, who was born in Uganda, arrived in the UK in 1972, where he settled in Bolton with his family. While he was at university, where he studied Computer Science and Physics, he started to earn his way by setting up a company called Per-Scent, where he sold perfumes to retailers. Taking out a £20,000 loan to get him started, he was soon selling to big names like Asda and Superdrug. He employed his brother, Vipul, as Managing Director.

Meanwhile, Peacocks brought The Fragrance Shop to the UK in 1995. It had 96 stores. Sanjay and Vipul bought it from Peacocks in 2006, with the aim of making it the biggest independent retailer of fragrances in the UK. Their aim was to bring luxury fragrances, both from big names and smaller firms, to everyone, at an affordable price. They embraced the internet, and with over 130 brands for customers to select from, customers could either browse online or at one of their high street shops.

These days, there are over 170 stores to visit on the UK's high streets. Sanjay's expansion plan includes the opening of 20 new stores every year, as well as overseas expansion.

You can buy online with their dedicated app, in a shop, or on the telephone. There are expert advisors at the end of the phone or email system, who know their products well.

With Sanjay's help, The Fragrance Shop joined forces with children's charity "Rays of Sunshine" in 2012. 5p from every sale The Fragrance Shop makes is donated to Rays of Sunshine, which grants wishes for seriously ill children. So far, they have raised more than £450,000.

The Fragrance Shop usually have regular voucher codes available to use, so it's worth checking regularly to get an even better deal on whatever's in your basket.

Brands

There are over 150 brands to choose from at The Fragrance Shop. They state that they are licensed distributors for all their brands. These include famous names such as:

• Calvin Klein
• Chanel
• Chlo√©
• Carolina Herrera
• Cartier
• Dior
• DKNY
• Dolce and Gabbana
• Donna Karan
• Elie Saab
• Elizabeth Arden
• Elizabeth Taylor
• Escada
• Estee Lauder
• Ghost
• Givenchy
• Gucci
• Guerlian
• Hermes
• Hugo Boss
• Issey Miyake
• Jean Paul Gaultier
• Jimmy Choo
• Kenzo
• Lacoste
• Lancome
• Marc Jacobs
• Nina Ricci
• Oscar De La Renta
• Paco Rabanne
• Prada
• Ralph Lauren
• Stella McCartney
• Thierry Mugler
• Valentino
• Vera Wang
• Versace
• Viktor and Rolf

Departments

The Fragrance Shop don't just sell fragrances. They also sell many types of beauty items, such as cosmetics, hair care items, shower items, shaving gels, temporary tattoos and make up.

Opening Times

The online shop is always open, but the phone lines for telephone orders are only open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.

The Fragrance Shop's stores opening hours vary, dependant on their location. Check your local shop's hours before making a trip!

Delivery Information

The Fragrance Shop can deliver to more than 20 countries across the world.

There are many options for getting your order to your chosen address. Free delivery is available for spends of over £40, or it's £2.99 for standard delivery, which takes 2-3 days.

If you want your order in a hurry, Express Delivery is available at £3.99, or for free if you spend more than £60.

Those living near a branch of The Fragrance Shop can benefit from free click and collect, or you can choose to collect from a Collect+ shop for £2.99.

Returns Policy

The Fragrance Shop allows returns at its stores up to 90 days after purchase, whether they were bought in a shop or online. All items must be returned in their original packaging, including any outer packaging.

If the order was received in error, they must be returned unopened, with undamaged cellophane shrink wrap, and the original proof of purchase such as an email showing the order.

If you can't get to a shop, you can return via post, again within 90 days of the original purchase. As with in-store returns, your return must be sent back with all original packaging, and with the cellophane intact if it's an unwanted or erroneous purchase.

Before returning by post, you must log on to the website to apply for an authorisation code. Don't just send it back without notifying them.

If you want to send back an item that you just don't want or like, contact the support team and they'll consider your request. They don't guarantee that your request will be accepted.

Security & Reviews

The average review on Trustpilot scores The Fragrance Shop 3.9 out of 5. Most of the complaints are around delivery, rather than the company themselves. Another review company, Feefo, have them rated at 96%.

Both mobile and desktop sites are securely hosted, with orders securely encrypted, and they have an SSL to transmit the most sensitive information. Regular audits are performed to check the integrity of this.