The English Soap Company: ‘transporting’ customers with QR codes powered by GS1

The English Soap Company is deeply rooted in the picturesque Sussex countryside. 

The business began life in 2000 as a creative hobby for co-founders Bob and Juliet Butts after they stumbled across a pile of unused vintage soap moulds in a farm machinery workshop. 

Using an old book on the alchemy behind traditional English soap-making, Bob began experimenting in his spare time, turning their kitchen into a quasi-laboratory before Juliet suggested they find a more suitable production space. 

From there the couple moved operations onto the picturesque Silveroaks Farm in Waldron, East Sussex – where the team remains to this day – and soon began operating as Christina May, a private label manufacturer of premium handcrafted soaps. They worked hard perfecting their method. Each bar is made with a perfectly balanced vegetable oil base, shea butter and glycerine, to ensure it has a silky, smooth texture and fragrant lather.

With an already thriving private label business, by 2012 the team were looking to grow and diversify their international footprint so decided to create a standalone brand that reflected both the company’s rural heritage and traditional production methods. The ‘The English Soap Company’ was born. 

With a range that now includes hand creams, body washes and perfumed candles, as well as its flagship soap bars, the brand’s USP is its position as a luxury range, explains brand and marketing manager, Kelsey Heaton. 

“We differentiate ourselves in that we’re selling a utilitarian product, but we position ourselves in the gifting sector,” she explains. Much of this the brand achieves through its distinctive packaging and design. It’s in-house team of illustrators and designers dream up beautiful artisanal concepts for each product, be it whimsical cats enjoying a spa day, a trio of classical paintings for its festive gift sets or outdoor scenes personalised for Mother’s Day. Short messages or “pick me ups” are also used on the packaging to ensure each soap is positioned as a thoughtful gift, says Heaton. 

As for many brands that primarily sold their products in ‘bricks and mortar’ stores, the pandemic proved to be a challenge for The English Soap Company.

Despite all of their growth and continued success, minimising environmental impact has also been a top priority at The English Soap Company. Their soaps are made with zero animal products and all fragrances are sourced locally from a nearby perfumery. Manufacturing all takes place on the Sussex farm site and the brand is fully committed to using low-carbon materials, such as cardboard and biodegradable paper wraps, in their distinctive packaging, working with local suppliers wherever possible.

With such a distinctive product and rich story to tell, the team is now committing more time and investment to sharing their history, production methods and focus on sustainability with customers. 

However, with space on-pack at a premium, The English Soap Company had a challenge on their hands. 

Due to their small size, the physical packaging of their toiletry products was typically limited in space. At the same time, the brand’s distribution model meant it lacked a dedicated physical space to communicate the brands story, credentials and product attributes. 

Though The English Soap Company’s soaps, and the rest of the range, are stocked in outlets renowned outlets such as garden centres and boutiques, these third parties locations don’t offer the same opportunities to share in-depth information with customers. This left the brand’s website having to “work very hard” to communicate everything the team would like to share, especially around methods of production and sustainability commitments, explained Heaton.

At the scan of a smartphone, consumers can discover the rich heritage of the brand, how products are made, sourced and much more - all thanks to a simple scan of the back of their soap’s packaging, says Heaton. 

Thanks to Orca Scan’s help and guidance, the set-up that was simple and easy to integrate and, Christmas 2023, the code was successfully added to 16 of the brand’s festive soaps. 

Heaton says that it’s still early days but, with the right engagement from customers, there’s every chance QR codes powered by GS1 could provide the perfect way for the team to overcome the practical challenges they’ve faced when it comes to sharing their story of a creative hobby turned flourishing international brand.