Vegan-friendly home fragrance company Cosy Aromas to open shop in Bury St Edmunds in further boost to town centre
A Suffolk company specialising in vegan-friendly home fragrances is set to expand with a new shop in Bury St Edmunds.
Cosy Aromas has already launched stores in Felixstowe and Ipswich and is set to open another branch in the county's cathedral town at the arc shopping centre.
It is the latest chapter in the company's growth after it expanded into Europe with a German distributor last year to sell its more than 100 scents in candles, wax melts, room sprays and other products.
The new shop will be at the former Swarovski in the arc - another boost for the town as its empty shop units continue to be snapped up by local and national businesses.
Paul Mayne, who founded Cosy Aromas with his wife Tamar in 2018, said: "Being from Suffolk, my wife and I have always wanted to open a store in the town and are looking forward to bringing the Cosy brand to local people.
"We have built a real following across the UK with loyal customers sharing our passion for vegan-friendly, cruelty-free products, and are sure that people in Bury St Edmunds will love what we have to offer."
Paul and Tamar, who lived next door to each other when they were children and married in their 20s, launched Cosy Aromas from their kitchen in 2018 as an online store after a disappointing scented candle inspired them to create their own.
The company opened its first shop in Beach Street, Felixstowe, in 2020 and opened a second at its warehouse in Ipswich the following year.
The online store offers more than 115 scents and sends out more than 1,400 subscription boxes a month.
It expanded into Europe with a German distributor last year and is looking to grow its markets in the UK and Europe.
The couple have been keen to launch a shop in Bury, which is to set to welcome a range of new businesses.
Mark Cordell, chief executive of Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District, estimates 10 new firms including Cosy Aromas have plans to open premises in the town centre.
This includes two at the former Palmers department store, cheese and wine shops in Hatter Street, a brasserie at the former Café Rouge, a juice bar at the arc, a Greek restaurant in St John's Street, an Italian restaurant in Risbygate Street and a Belgian style beer bar at the former RSPCA charity shop in St Andrew's Street South.
The Cambridge Building Society has also launched a new branch at the former Argos.
He said: "I'm really pleased that so many empty units are being filled. It looks really positive when so many businesses are coming in and it's a real compliment to Bury that all these businesses see us as a vibrant town centre."
Cosy Aromas hopes to open the shop, which would employ two to three staff, at the arc no later than May.
