'Something a little bit different': The new Albrighton shop inviting customers to find their perfect scent

A former bank which stood empty for more than a decade has been given a new lease of life with the opening of a home fragrance store.

Peter Snowdon and Wesley Fellows, founders of luxury interiors and home retail company Shropshire Design, have opened The Scent Room at their premises in Albrighton.

The pair, who established Shropshire Design in 2009, bought the former Barclays building in 2022 after spotting its potential.

The building had stood empty for more than 10 years, with a previous proposal to convert it into flats in 2011 having failed to materialise.

Having initially considered transforming the property into homes, Peter and Wesley instead decided to make it the new home of their growing interiors business.

The building has since been renovated and became the company's headquarters last summer, with the opening of The Scent Room marking the latest stage of its transformation.

Peter said: "We live near Albrighton so we saw this building sat for years and years and for ages we thought - with our background in interior design - we could do something with it.

"We went along to the auction, put a bid on it and won it. We had no surveys, we didn't know what we were getting into.

"It had planning permission for conversion into houses, but the business had really taken off during Covid and we thought we'd love to move the business into it."

The decision to open a dedicated fragrance store in the building came after the pair recognised a growing demand for smaller homeware purchases.

While Shropshire Design sells larger pieces of furniture to customers across the country, Peter said the cost-of-living crisis had prompted people to think differently about how they spend on their homes.

He said: "We wanted to keep it as a shopfront, but we sell big pieces of furniture all over the country - but we can't sell those from a little shop.

"Increasingly, with the cost-of-living crisis, people haven't got the cash to make big-ticket purchases but what they can do is buy the small pieces that enhance their living experience.

"A scent can bring a bit of newness that people can afford."

The business had already begun selling room diffusers, which proved hugely popular and inspired the new venture.

Peter added: "We'd started selling room diffusers and they've gone absolutely mental, so that's what we thought we'd do - it's something a little bit different."

The Scent Room features six fragrance collections at its dedicated Scent Bar, where customers can sit down and explore the different scents at their own pace.

The shop also stocks diffusers, refills and candles, with the aim of offering visitors more than just a traditional shopping experience.

"We wanted to create an experience, have a coffee - maybe a little prosecco - and take your time," Peter said.

"A lot of people are spending a good 30 minutes in the shop, taking the time to pick one they like."

The opening weekend saw an enthusiastic response from customers, with the store busy with visitors, including one couple who travelled from Wales to visit.

Peter said the reaction had been a real confidence boost for the new venture.

"It says to me that, as a concept, we've got it right. It was a real vote of confidence," he said.

The Scent Room is currently open from Tuesday to Saturday, between 9.30am and 4.30pm.

The team also hope to extend opening hours ahead of the Christmas shopping rush.