Farewell… and Thanks for the Memories

After two fantastic years at Pocket Scents, today is my last day.

Matt and I go back a long way. Many years ago, when I was co-owner of The Executive Shaving Company, an online retailer of men’s wet shaving and grooming products, Matt got in touch and asked if he could meet up to show me a few fragrances he thought might work well for Executive Shaving.

That meeting turned out to be a very good idea.

We took on a few fragrances including Bloodaxe and Lisboa, and later added Lomond. To this day, all three remain strong sellers for Pocket Scents.

Buoyed by the success of those fragrances, I asked Matt if he could create an exclusive scent just for us. That fragrance became Rannoch.

Rannoch was an instant success. We sold our first batch in record time and demand never slowed down. Even after Executive Shaving closed under new management in 2024, people were still asking about it.

I had officially retired in 2022 but, having worked since I was 16, I quickly discovered retirement wasn’t quite as exciting as I’d imagined. Matt and I had stayed in touch and, in May 2024, we agreed it would be a good idea for me to come and work at Pocket Scents for a couple of years.

The brief was simple: help grow sales and streamline the business.

I’m happy to say we’ve done exactly that.

It hasn’t always been easy. Increased competition, endless price cutting and the less-than-cheerful state of the UK economy have all made trading challenging. But by sticking to our core principles - offering high-quality fragrances and putting customer care at the centre of everything we do, Pocket Scents has continued to grow and flourish.

There have been plenty of highlights over the past two years.

The Return of Lomond

The relaunch of Lomond in March 2025 was a real high point. It continues to receive fantastic reviews and has firmly established itself as one of our standout fragrances.

Celebrating 10 Years

Then came 10 Years - created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Pocket Scents.

For such an important milestone, we knew we had to get this one absolutely right. Without sounding too big-headed… I think we managed it!

The Return of Rannoch

And then there’s Rannoch.

Rarely did a week go by without someone who had bought this fragrance from Executive Shaving contacting us asking if it would ever return. We were hesitant at first because the oils used in Rannoch are incredibly expensive, meaning it would need to retail at a higher price than most of the range.

The big question was: would people still buy it?

The answer was a definite yes.

What we discovered is that Pocket Scents customers truly value quality and Rannoch has been a tremendous success since its return.

What Happens Now?

Well, I turn 69 in June and it’s time to properly embrace retirement.

My wife and I own a wee bolt hole in Comrie, Perthshire, and we plan to spend much of the summer there enjoying long walks with our crazy spaniel, stunning scenery, good books and generally taking life at a slower pace.

I’ve already rejoined my local gym, and holidays to Kos in Greece and Bari in Italy are booked so there’s plenty to look forward to.

That said, I suspect my wife already has an extensive list of DIY jobs lined up for me…

It’s been great fun learning about a completely new industry and helping out at Pocket Scents over the past two years. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the journey, the people and, of course, the fragrances.

But now it’s time for me to sign off.

Thanks for reading, thanks for your support, and all the very best for the future.

Brian Mulreany