North Coast’s Olivia’s Haven enjoys the scent of success with 200% year-on-year increase in sales and creation of eight new jobs

North Coast-based luxury home-fragrance company, Olivia’s Haven is celebrating its growth in the first 18 months of operations, following the opening of a 5,000 sq ft workshop, the creation of eight new jobs and a 200% year-on-year increase in sales.

In preparation for the further increase in demand in the run up to the festive season, an Olivia’s Haven pop-up shop will open beside the workshop on Saturday, November 27 and run until Christmas Eve giving customers the opportunity to purchase products from the extensive portfolio, including the limited edition festive scents and gift ranges, and an exclusive new scent, Christmas in the Alps, which will only be available in store.

The company, set up by Olivia Burns from Ballymoney in February 2020 after she took voluntary redundancy from her previous job as a Head of Brand and PR, has been generating strong sales in the ROI, UK and US markets in addition to a loyal customer base across Northern Ireland.

Olivia’s home fragrance collection has expanded beyond hand-made soy wax candles and now also includes reed diffusers and wax melts. All products are handmade, vegan friendly and the candles have a long burn time.

Olivia Burns, founder of Olivia’s Haven, said: “I have always had a love of scent and the strong sense of memories they can evoke. I started experimenting with wax and fragrance oils to make my own and really enjoyed the process. I was confident that I had identified a gap in the market for a home fragrance collection with a luxury, sophisticated scent profile that was visually stunning and at an attainable price point. I spent a further year perfecting the range and working alongside an illustrator to create fun and vibrant packaging that resulted in a beautiful brand and a growing portfolio of luxury products.

“Launching a new business as the world was going into lockdown was certainly daunting. The physical way of retail had been shut down almost overnight and Olivia’s Haven had no digital footprint at that stage. However, I quickly developed my business model of 100% direct, online sales which was supported by a creative and targeted digital and social media strategy and I’m delighted to say that despite the extremely challenging trading conditions, we have thrived over the last 18 months. I’ve been blown away by the support we’ve received from our customer base throughout Northern Ireland and I’m so proud that our products are now being shipped across the world on a daily basis.

“We have recently expanded and opened a 5,000 sq ft workshop in Ballymoney, where we hand-pour everything, and created eight new jobs working across everything on site from product development and design, production and fulfilment and marketing and business development. We are thrilled to be opening a Christmas pop-up shop and have the opportunity to meet some of our lovely customers in person, where they can purchase the perfect festive gifts, including an exclusive new scent, Christmas in the Alps, which will only be available in store.

“It’s a very exciting time for the growing Olivia’s Haven team and we have strategic growth plans in place to help us continue on the path of building a digital-first, modern and global brand on the North Coast of Northern Ireland,” Olivia added.

To see the full Olivia’s Haven range or find out more information about the Christmas pop-up shop, go to www.olivias-haven.co.uk

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