In pictures: The Fragrance Shop launches new perfume fascia Indulge Fragrances

Indulge Fragrances opened the doors to its first store in the Trafford Centre, Manchester this week, revealing a self-select format.

The store allows customers to browse and select fragrances in an open space, which is designed to complement the Fragrance Shop’s offer, which typically keeps all products behind the till.

The launch comes in the same week that rival retailer The Perfume Shop opened its first self-selection store in Westfield Stratford City.

The Fragrance Shop owner Sanjay Vadera said: “We’ve seen a growing trend for treating fragrances as an extension of our outfits and having a selection that suits different seasons, times of day and moods, all of which has an impact on the way we select fragrances. This is changing the way people shop for and select fragrances and we wanted a brand that reflected these changes.”

Vadera said that once the format has been refined he is aiming on opening between 10 and 15 stores in the next three years.

“Already landlords have been approaching us about potential sites,” he added.

Indulge Fragrances will also act as a base to trial new services and features for customers.

The Fragrance Shop, which operates from 146 stores, opened its first self-selection format in Glasgow earlier this year and Indulge Fragrances builds on this work.

Vadera insisted that no The Fragrance Shop stores will be converted into the Indulge Fragrances format.

He said: “The Fragrance Shop continues to trade as a winning formula with sales up 15.1% year to 31^st March 2013. Both Indulge Fragrances and The Fragrance Shop are set for expansion without impacting each other’s estate.”