Ajmal Dubai has opened its first UK store at Westfield London in White City, marking the fragrance house’s first retail location in the Western Hemisphere and coinciding with the launch of a dedicated UK e-commerce site.
More Than 75 Years Of Perfumery
The opening brings the family-owned fragrance business into the UK physical retail market more than 75 years after it was founded by Haji Ajmal Ali in 1951. Now led by the third generation of the Ajmal family, Ajmal developed from its origins in India before establishing its international base in Dubai.
Ajmal operates across ingredient cultivation, fragrance production, distribution and retail. Its Agarwood plantation in Assam, northeast India, comprises ten million trees used in the production of oud, alongside ingredients including jasmine sambac, jasmine grandiflorum, tuberose, mimosa, lotus, rose, lavender and chamomile.
Its “farm to fragrance” model spans the cultivation and sourcing of ingredients through to research, development, blending, production and retail. The fragrance house was also among the early producers to combine Agarwood oil and natural oriental oils with western fragrance notes.
Perfumers and fragrance specialists travel to the Assam plantations as part of the brand’s development process and to experience the source of the ingredients used across its collections.
Fragrance Discovery At Westfield London
The new Westfield London store has been designed around fragrance discovery, bringing together fine fragrances and concentrated perfume oils within a permanent physical retail setting.
The launch includes a collection developed for the UK market comprising Ode Tubéreuse, Oud Plaisir, Oud Sucré, Musk Silk Oil and Amber Wood.
Ode Tubéreuse combines tuberose and jasmine with candied apple, mango, saffron and pink pepper.
Oud Plaisir opens with mandarin, pear and blackcurrant before moving into jasmine, orange flower and lavender, followed by patchouli, amber, musk and vanilla.
Oud Sucré combines plum, pineapple, lime and hazelnut with an orris, jasmine, freesia and lily-of-the-valley heart, followed by sandalwood, myrrh, vanilla and labdanum.
Musk Silk Perfume Oil features pomegranate and strawberry alongside peony and lily of the valley, moving into a powdery woody base.
Amber Wood combines a fruity-spicy opening with a woody heart and amber-wood base.
Prices for 100ml eau de toilette fragrances start from £137.50.
“It is an hounour to be opening Ajmal’s first European store in the London, 75 years after my grandfather discovered agarwood trees in his back garden and set out to build a successful life for himself within the fragrance business. The UK represents an important market for Ajmal, and we are delighted to introduce our fine fragrances and perfume oil blends, steeped in a family story of passion and innovation to this sophisticated perfume market”
Abdulla Ajmal, CEO, Ajmal
International Retail Network
Ajmal now operates more than 400 exclusive showrooms across the GCC and other international markets, with distribution spanning more than 70 countries and a presence across more than 80 duty-free and travel retail locations.
Terry Clark is the Publisher and Content Director of 365 Retail, with more than a decade of experience covering retail design, technology innovations, store openings and the wider retail industry. He also works closely with leading retailers, suppliers, agencies, events and industry awards across the UK.
