Edinburgh-based perfume specialist Jorum Studio sniffing out major expansion

An Edinburgh-based firm that describes itself as “the home of Scottish perfume” has uncorked ambitious plans to triple in size by 2023 – including scaling its international presence.

Jorum Studio launched in 2019, founded by “professional perfumer” Euan McCall, later joined by partner Chloe Mullen, and says it is the only perfumery in Scotland that researches, develops and crafts bespoke scents on location, at its headquarters in the Scottish capital.

It has also pointed out that in 2020 and 2021, the brand scaled into multiple international markets with a year-on-year doubling of retailers, while overall each business channel including private bespoke and business to business (B2B) has enjoyed “increased and sustained growth”.

The firm says that with each new handmade batch, it doubles production to meet demand and regularly sells out of its most popular scents including Trimerous. Picture: contributed.

The firm – which says the pandemic saw perfume gain traction as an affordable treat – launched its first standalone store and micro-laboratory on St Stephen Street in Edinburgh in 2021, on the back of a growth in sales.

With each new handmade batch – products harness locally harvested, raw materials such as hand-picked lavender, and an increasing use of biodegradable products – it doubles production to meet demand, it added.

It sells its unisex perfumes in more than 30 international markets, shipping five tonnes of fragrance each year with nearly 100 global B2B clients, and it plans to open a European studio and store, identifying Copenhagen as the ideal spot.

Jorum Studio master perfumer Mr McCall said: “With a 400 per cent uplift in our formulation and manufacturing contracts in the region, Denmark – and more specifically Copenhagen – feels like a good expansion for our operations, both strategically and synergistically.”

Closer to home, it has earmarked Dunkeld as a key location for a forthcoming boutique, saying it is “drawn to slower and more considered locations”.

Additionally, Jorum Studio aims to expand its currently three-strong team, saying its global expansion will introduce three to five new roles.

The business is at present working on its next collection, launching this spring, and comprising three new fragrances inspired by a “new age folklore of Scotland”. In summary, Ms Mullen commented: “Our business model has diversified, and the past two years has proven to us that it is resilient.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.