Luxury skincare business quadruples online sales after tapping into digital upskilling programme – The Scotsman
Alloa-based Ochil Skincare launched in 2015 and makes and sells hand-made natural and vegan soap and skincare products “with a Scottish twist”.
Although the business and its two brands – Siabann and Bearr Man – were performing well and had an established client base within the Scottish hospitality sector, four-fifths of this trade was lost when lockdown forced hotels and restaurants to close.
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Alloa-based Ochil Skincare launched in 2015 and makes and sells hand-made natural and vegan soap and skincare products “with a Scottish twist”.
Although the business and its two brands – Siabann and Bearr Man – were performing well and had an established client base within the Scottish hospitality sector, four-fifths of this trade was lost when lockdown forced hotels and restaurants to close.
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Throughout this period of closure, business owner Fiona Ritchie focused on building the brand’s online presence, turning to support network Business Gateway for support in doing so.
Alloa-based Ochil Skincare launched in 2015 and makes and sells hand-made natural and vegan soap and skincare products.
Using DigitalBoost, the digital upskilling programme delivered by Business Gateway, Ritchie was able to access support that helped her create the brand’s e-commerce site, which is now core to business turnover and has resulted in a 400 per cent increase in online sales.
She said: “The support I have received over the years has filled me with confidence and will stand me in good stead for the launch of my next product range. I’ve even started my own blog to digitally document Ochil Skincare’s journey and engage with our growing online customer base.”
Andrea McFarlane, Business Gateway adviser, added: “Fiona’s enthusiasm for the brand is infectious, and it has been brilliant to see how she has adapted in response to the challenges of pandemic. Losing such a big part of her client base is every business owner’s nightmare, but Fiona’s hard work has turned things around.”
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