The Perfume Shop has secured Real Living Wage employer accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation.
The UK fragrance retailer has paid its employees Real Living Wage rates – an hourly rate of pay calculated by the foundation based on the cost of living – since January 2023.
The company pays employees at least £10.90 per hour, while those based in London are paid £11.95 per hour.
The Perfume Shop said the move shows its “commitment to ensuring all staff are paid fairly [and] feel rewarded and valued.”
The Real Living Wage is a UK scheme which is voluntarily paid by more than 12,000 UK businesses who believe their staff “deserve a wage which meets everyday needs”.
The Perfume Shop follows in the footsteps of cosmetics giant L'Occitane, which received accreditation as a Real Living Wage employer last year.
Staff at The Perfume Shop can also earn commission in key trading periods, with managers participating in an annual bonus scheme to ensure that performance is rewarded.
The fragrance retailer offers an array of career path development too.
This is via apprenticeships, internal management training, and vocational learning through the British Retail Consortium and the Fragrance Foundation qualification programmes.
The Perfume Shop has been paying employees Real Living Wage rates since January 2023
Gill Smith, MD of The Perfume Shop, said gaining formal Living Wage Foundation accreditation has been a “long held ambition” of the company.
“We wanted to implement the Real Living Wage to recognise the value of our store teams to the business,” she commented.
“It helps us attract and retain some of the best talent, passion and spark on the high street… and demonstrates our commitment to, and care for, our teams at a time of unprecedented cost of living pressures.
“It was the right thing to do.
“Our perfume people are at the heart of our business and critical to our success.”
Michelle Fellows, People and Development Director at The Perfume Shop, believes being accredited will help the company recruit extra staff during the festive period.
“As we start to think about increasing our workforce through temporary Christmas Sales Advisors positions, we are confident that we have a compelling offer for anyone looking to work in retail on a temporary or permanent basis,” she said.
The Perfume Shop has also been working with its key suppliers to ensure they are also committed to paying their employees a real living wage.
Other beauty brands accredited Real Living Wage employers include Lush and By Sarah London.
Several beauty companies have also introduced new staff benefits recently to help employees during the costs of living crisis.
UK health and beauty retail giant Boots has given working parents one week of free childcare and 10% off further fees at nursery provider Busy Bees.
It also enhanced its team member discount scheme, with staff receiving up to 45% off all Boots own branded products.
Coty, meanwhile, has revealed a gender-neutral policy for parental leave.
Under the beauty company’s new global policy, all employees will have access to the same number of fully paid weeks
Read more:
- The living wage: Can cosmetics companies afford not to pay it?
- The Perfume Shop extends price freeze until 2024
