35 COMPANY PROFILE CORE VALUES Scottish Fine Soaps has stuck to its core values amidst hard times and is reaping the rewards of an expanded product offering. Hear more from Richard Sloan… When did you start up and why? Scottish Fine Soaps was established in 1974 by Derek Ross, who is still involved in the company to this day, when he spotted a gap in the market for high end soap products using local Scottish ingredients. Since then, Scottish Fine Soaps has remained a family-run business, with products manufactured and distributed from Falkirk in Central Scotland. What challenges have you overcome since the company’s launch? As more brands enter the market, both locally and internationally, the competition and ability to stand out from the crowd gets tougher. Add in technology advances, cost of living crises, pandemics, increases in shipping rates and Brexit, the cost of doing business is always changing and making things challenging. However, we have tried to stick to our core values of delivering high quality products at an affordable price that meet consumer needs whilst using locally sourced ingredients. Tell us about your product offering. Our product catalogue has evolved over the years so that we now offer products that consumers want. We have moved away from predominantly soap bars to liquid hand washes, but then also complementary products like hand and body lotions, creams, body washes and creams, plus bathing products. The growth of the men’s grooming market in the past 10 to 15 years has opened up new opportunities, with our male ranges being very popular. What are your most popular products? Our Sea Kelp and Au Lait ranges continue to be our most popular. Customers love the fresh fragrance of Sea Kelp Hand Washes and the creamy texture and sweet scent of Au Lait hand wash and bathing products. The rich and woody fragrance of our Thistle and Black Pepper Men’s Grooming range is also a best seller, with customers loving the face and beard care products. How do you keep your designs fresh and current? Do you follow trends? Our 2025 brand refresh has been the perfect opportunity to bring the brand up to date with current trends and consumer tastes. For example, sustainability is now a key focus, and so all new packaging is recyclable or reusable. In response to changing consumer demands, Au Lait
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=