NI fragrance firm FieldDay celebrates 20 years in business with record sales

One of Northern Ireland’s longest established fragrance companies, FieldDay, is celebrating its 20th birthday with a 30% increase in sales following its busiest trading year to date in 2021.

And despite strong ecommerce sales, with orders daily from across the world including America, France and Germany, the company’s founder has affirmed her commitment to continuing to support the high-street.

Based in Newtownards, FieldDay was founded by Alix Mulholland in 2002 and it has grown into an extensive home fragrance collection of 70 products including candles and diffusers with several hundred stockists including Brown Thomas and Avoca.

Alix Mulholland, founder of FieldDay, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating our 20th year in business and I’m very proud of how the business has grown since I started it by making soaps from my mum’s kitchen table to a team of 10. In this time, we’ve survived a recession, navigated really tough times and traded through a pandemic. FieldDay has evolved through ongoing investment and innovation which has enabled us to grow and lead the way in home fragrance.

“The past two years have been the most challenging for retail and that is not going to change in the months ahead with the rising costs we are facing as a business, however we are optimistic for continued growth. We’ve seen a change in buying habits and spend, but despite a busy market – our online and retail sales continue to grow. This has been made possible due to the introduction of new products, continued investment in our website and social platforms and our clear sustainability values.

“Our success is also thanks to the fabulous bricks and mortar retailers we work with, and as a business, we know and appreciate the important role they have played in our growth. Which is why, when so many companies are focussing all their efforts on their online sales, we are committed to working hard at both. We are delighted to be celebrating this important anniversary with the people who have stocked our products in their stores. There has never been a more important time to support the high-street and I would encourage other brands to ensure they do the same.

“Our corporate orders have also grown in the last year and have played an important part in our record sales. It has been fantastic to see a massive rise in employers gifting their employees and clients with wellbeing boxes. It’s an exciting time at FieldDay and I can’t wait to see what the next 20 years will bring.

"To mark our birthday, we are delighted to collaborate with The Dead Rabbit in New York who are using our hand washes, candles and diffusers in their world-famous bar. The owner Jack McGarry is from Belfast and is keen to showcase Irish makers. This is lovely exposure for us, as it showcases FieldDay to a new audience and helps increase our visibility and sales across America.”