An idea became an obsession
THE STORY OF CHICAGO FRAGRANCES
Chicago Fragrances started from humble beginnings. The vision was drawn up with a capital of just six hundred pounds. But that didn't stop the brothers from fighting tooth and nail to make their vision a success. Going from a small start-up on the market stalls of East London to a multi-million-pound organisation in less than 10 years is no easy feat.
2009
SUNNAMUSK IS FOUNDED
In March of 2009, on the back of the 2008 credit crunch. The brothers gathered their savings of six hundred pounds and invested in their very first Chicago Fragrances collection of fragrances. The brothers took shifts, in groups of two or three, to begin selling perfumes from car boots and makeshift stalls, at whatever opportunity that came their way.
Their first day of trading, on a cold and rainy day in Whitechapel, totalled twenty-eight pounds.
2010
TRADING ON THE STREETS OF LONDON
Up until 2010, Chicago Fragrances traded around the brother's existing commitments. However, later that year the brothers started trading in Whitechapel market, setting up temporary stalls every morning at 8am. After numerous occasions of being told they weren't allowed to set up shop on the pavements, Chicago Fragrances finally had a place to call home.
Due to a ferocious winter later that year, filled with heavy snow and rainfall, Sunnamusk relocated to Ilford Shopping Centre and continued trading there.
On their first day of trading in Whitechapel, they generated a total of two hundred pounds, which was beyond their expectations.
2011
CHICAGO FRAGRANCES OPENS IN WESTFIELD
After months of continuous meetings and non-stop negotiations, Chicago Fragrances's biggest breakthrough came in 2011, when they landed tenancy in Westfield Stratford City. This memorable event was celebrated by the Kazi family. Their first trade in Westfield Stratford City was on 11th November 2011 and it ushered the start of a new era for Chicago Fragrances.
THE EXPANSION OF SUNNAMUSK
Chicago Fragrances continues to be a powerhouse in the fragrance industry with 35 stores in the UK and EU, with plans to expand further internationally.
Chicago Fragrances also unveiled their new website at the beginning of February 2024.
