Small Business Spotlight: Molecule Home Fragrance

The big picture: Founded by Realle Goates, Molecule Home Fragrance has carved out a niche in the competitive home fragrance market by prioritising sustainability and ethical sourcing without compromising quality.

• All products are hand-poured in small batches using vegan ingredients sourced from UK suppliers.

• The company uses a special blend of coconut and rapeseed wax, with a small amount of soy added for hardness and a smooth finish.

• Packaging is almost entirely plastic-free, with the only plastic item being the spray nozzle on room sprays.

Yes, but: Maintaining eco-friendly values while growing a business isn't always easy, explains Raelle:

"The hardest thing about maintaining the earth-friendly values of the business is in the supply chain. I don't source from outside the UK, as I want to do all I can to keep the carbon footprint of the business as low as possible, but this can cause challenges, as the UK is no longer a big manufacturer of materials."

Behind the scenes: Raelle, who started the business after a 30-year corporate career, brings a unique blend of creativity and project management skills to the venture.

"I wanted to take a change of direction and find a venture that allowed me to make the most of my creative side, as well as run and grow a business of my own," she told Ipswich.co.uk.

Around 20% of Molecule's retail customers are from Suffolk, a figure that's been steadily growing, and the company won the LUXlife Global Excellence Award for Best Botanical Home Scent Company—East of England 2023.

Partnering with Ipswich Town FC: This year, Raelle has focused on expanding Molecule's white-label business. Those efforts culminated in an exciting partnership with Ipswich Town FC to create the 'Ipswicks' range of candles.

Goates's approach to securing the Ipswich Town partnership was refreshingly direct:

"I made up some mock-ups of my products using their branding and literally turned up one day to the Planet Blue shop, where I spoke with a member of the team and asked her to pass on the mock-ups, as well as some examples of my fragrances to the Head of Retail Operations.

"I followed up with an email and was amazed to get a response within the hour."

A sample of the Molecule Home Fragrance range

Raelle's favourite fragrance is Catching Sunset on a Paradise Isle because it reminds her of "warm summer evenings, sitting at the edge of a beach with a cocktail."

And her favourite product? She loves the Chris Moyles candle: "It has a wooden wick, which has a subtle crackle, but is also an absolutely gorgeous powdery, soft fragrance."

Advice to new or aspiring independent retailers:

Asked what advice she would give her younger self if starting again, Raelle said: "Every day is a school day when you run your own business, and you learn something new literally every day. I would probably advise myself to take a course in social media marketing before embarking on a new retail venture, as that has been one of the biggest learning curves.

"It's crucially important to any small retail business but is often neglected as small business owners are so busy making and developing products, ordering materials, negotiating contracts and everything in between!"

The bottom line: As consumers become more environmentally conscious, businesses like Molecule demonstrate that luxury and sustainability can go hand in hand.

Support them: Head over to https://moleculehomefragrance.co.uk/.