Penhaligon's #03-16
ION Orchard

IT may be located on the third floor of ION Orchard, arguably one of the slickest properties in town, but stepping into the new Penhaligon's boutique will transport the unwary shopper into another world entirely.

Quaint, refined, and steeped in tradition, the roughly 74.32-sq-m store is decked out in plum and eau de nil green - Penhaligon's signature colours - with a smattering of antiques strewn about, offering customers a welcome insight into a forgotten London of winding side-streets and endless surprises.

Although Penhaligon's has been available at local beauty concept Escentials for about five years, this is its first dedicated outpost in Singapore.

Stocking its full range of 34 (going on 35 when they launch the Juniper Sling next month) fragrances and lifestyle products, it marks the first foray of the fine British fragrance house into Asia.

"We look at Singapore as a gateway to the rest of Asia," explains its CEO Sarah Rotheram.

"Not only is it relatively easy to do business here, I think the city is really vibrant and there's always something new everytime I come back and visit the country. Plus, economically, it's a nice place to be in, compared to Europe at the moment."

Not that the brand has been doing badly back in the West. According to Ms Rotheram, in spite of the gloomy economy back home, the brand has been achieving high double-digit growth year on year.

That said, "everybody knows that Asia is the place to be business-wise at the moment", she adds, emphasising the need to look East.

More importantly, says Ms Rotheram, the decision to open a store in Singapore was also due to the local clientele. The combination of a multicultural society and influx of tourists makes it a great place to conduct market research, allowing them to understand the needs and demands of customers in the region.

She adds that Singapore, in particular, was a bit of a no-brainer, thanks to a highly developed fragrance market here that amounts to roughly 30 to 40 per cent of beauty sales in the country.

But there is still much room to grow when it comes to niche fragrances as a category.

"The appreciation of fragrance in Singapore is very developed and although you can get niche fragrances in department stores, we are among the first to open a stand-alone boutique here in Singapore," she says.

Part of the quintessential Penhaligon's experience is a special fragrance profiling service that helps customers pick their ideal scent. The free service allows the shop staff to help pick the right scent for each customer.

"One of the unique things about a Penhaligon's fragrance is that when you first take a whiff of one, you won't be able to detect the notes in it until we point them out to you," says Ms Rotheram adding that in Britain, the conversion rate after a profiling session is about 78 per cent.

"Until we call out the notes, the only thing that will come to you is the mood the particular scent evokes, be it a tailor's shop for our Sartorial scent or London dry gin for our new launch Juniper Sling."

This, she explains, is due to the way the company comes up with its scents.

"We never give our perfumers an olfactory brief like fresh, fruity or floral. What we do is, we try and pick something - could be a dish, a shop or an experience - that is quintessentially English and then we try and recreate it in a scent," she says.

Moving forward, the brand is in the midst of expanding their Covent Garden shop to offer gentlemen's services, a throwback to the brand's heritage where it first started out as a barber shop along Jermyn Street, London, back in 1870.

"We will offer barber and shoe-shining services, hot wet towel shave and manicure for men as well," she says.

Ms Rotheram also reveals they are hoping to do the same in Singapore.

"Even if Asian men don't have to shave every day, it can be something they do once a week to pamper themselves. We will have a 'courtesy bar', and it's all part of the whole Penhaligon's experience, where you come in and really give yourself a little treat."

Fragonard for Raffles Hotel
Raffles Hotel Gift Shop, Raffles Hotel
1 Beach Road
Tel: 6412-1143

THE next time you pull into the driveway of Raffles Hotel, pay attention to the rows of mature frangipani trees lining it. And if you take a deep breath as you step out of the car, the subtle scent of frangipani blossoms will envelope you, welcoming you to the iconic Singaporean landmark.

That comforting experience can now be revisited every time you pick up one of the scented products that the hotel has commissioned the famous French House of Fragonard in Grasse - the mecca of fragrances - to produce.

From candles to diffusers to home sprays, the collection features the scent of the frangipani blossom, characterising the tropical splendour of Raffles Hotel and the Garden City. To complement the home scents, linens and bath products are also available.

Prices range from $18 for a tea towel to $120 for a 200ml home perfume diffuser and new items such as aromatherapy oil, eau de toilette and pochon (cloth bag) are expected to be launched later next month.

The range even has its own special emblem that incorporates Raffles's best known elements. Designed in the shape of the hotel's traveller's palm logo, it includes a fine penmanship of the hotel facade, historical fountain and even the iconic doorman.

"Fragonard has a worldwide reputation for the diversity and quality of its products - we feel that the collaboration will benefit both parties," says Pierre Jochem, general manager, Raffles Hotel Singapore, and regional vice-president of Operations, Asia Pacific, Raffles Hotels & Resorts.

"By collaborating with a renowned brand, we are assured of the highest quality design and product, which we are able to make available to our guests."