Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
Your industry news - first
The original and best - for over 20 years!
We strongly recommend viewing Cleanzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.
Social enterprise that creates jobs for the disabled, to supply one of Scotland's leading hospitality providers
In a major win for social enterprise The Soap Co., The G1 Group in Scotland is to use its luxury, cruelty-free bath and beauty products across its full hotel portfolio in Scotland, including at the iconic The Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh.
The G1 Group is Scotland's largest and most diverse hospitality group. Lesley Welsh, chief operating officer, explains why The G1 Group has switched soap for social good:
"We are delighted to have partnered exclusively with The Soap Co. across all of our hotels. Our hotel brand portfolio is extremely diverse - yet we felt that the overarching message and objectives of The Soap Co. fit so well within them all. It seemed like a very natural fit for us.
"Having been on a learning journey with The Soap Co. and finding out in great detail about the wonderful work it does to create employment for so many people with disabilities, we have been working hard to roll out its story both to our valued customers and great employees. We want to create a real difference with The Soap Co, and we look forward to introducing even more products and retail opportunities into our venues."
The new partnership marks The Soap Co. entering the luxury hotel market for the first time in a concerted way, building on its initial win with the iconic Bankside Hotel in London. The G1 Group will be taking The Soap Co.'s Geranium & Rhubarb Shampoo and Body Wash from the Eco & Bee Friendly Collection and the Black Poppy & Wild Fig Hand Wash and Hand Lotion from the Original Collection. All the products will be supplied through national distributor, Instock Group, based in Scotland.
The initial roll out will see The Soap Co. products in The Murrayfield Hotel's bedrooms, Inn on the Mile's bedrooms and public bathrooms, all bedrooms and bathrooms in both the Stay Central Hotel and Grassmarket Hotel and, last but not least, in The Scotsman Hotel's stunning new cinema and all of its public-facing toilets - with all bedrooms coming on board by 2020. Finally, The Palm Court Hotel will be using The Soap Co. throughout by Autumn 2019.
Barry Makin, general manager of The Scotsman Hotel, adds:
"The Scotsman Hotel is synonymous with luxury living. Our guests expect the very best. All of our supplier partnerships are carefully selected to ensure they offer excellent quality and The Soap Co. products are delivering on that expectation beautifully. The feedback from our guests and staff has so far been excellent, with an already high demand for a 'take home' retail option. Our guests particularly love the provenance of the brand, and the fact that the product is produced in small batches."
Camilla Marcus-Dew, co-founder of The Soap Co, says the company is "super pleased" to be partnering with The G1 Group in Scotland. "It quickly became clear that they were looking for a unique brand whose eco and ethical values aligned with its own," she adds. "The Soap Co. is truly designed for good and is a response to growing interest in clean beauty and the call for 100% transparency throughout the supply chain. We place great emphasis on creating award-winning products - lessening any negative impact on our planet and continuing to stand behind our 'no compromise' approach."
It is anticipated that sales of The Soap Co. to The G1 Group will create 3,250 hours of employment this year for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions at its semi-automated green energy factory in London's East End and at its workshop near The Lake District. Many of The Soap Co. products are made in small batches and by hand, lending them a beautiful and bespoke feel.
The Soap Co. is on a journey to plastic free with its aluminium bottles range launching by 2020 - with all bar soaps already carrying the Plastic Free Trust Mark from planet warriors, A Plastic Planet. This is in line with its goal to become a brand synonymous with the Circular Economy, eliminating waste and pollution wherever possible, and its continued commitment to 'The Planet Mark' throughout their organisation.
8th August 2019