A luxury online home store launched by the entrepreneur behind Pink Boutique is set for expansion after seeing multimillion-pound growth during the pandemic.
Alice Rowen Hall famously turned a £90 investment into successful fashion firm Pink Boutique, with the sale of six initial dresses growing to a £25m turnover business with thousands of customers and social media followers.
Ms Hall left the Newcastle business – now owned and run by her mother Julie Blackie – in October 2019, and took up a part time diploma in interior design, setting her plans for Rowen Homes into motion.
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Her plans for Rowen Homes - which takes its name from her middle name Rowen - came three years after she and husband Andrew first explored the sector with their sideline venture Glamhomestore.com, which sold everything from velvet sofas and beds to plush children’s nursery furniture. Rowen Homes was launched in August 2020, designing, curating and selling glamorous interiors to customers across the region and beyond.
The business originally formed part of a trio of businesses, including online food shop for allergy sufferers AllergyBox and healthy snack site Low Kal.
However, the success of Rowen Homes – which saw sales of £6.5m in its first 18 months – has led the pair to streamline the group to focus on the luxury homes company.
Starting the company with just seven staff, the team has now grown to 28 and over the next year the company is looking to grow gross sales to £14m and also to recruit another 10 members of staff.
Rapid growth also led to a move from their 3,000 sqft premises in Gosforth, Newcastle, to a 30,000 sqft warehouse and office space in Blaydon, Gateshead, last May.
Ms Hall, founder and creative director who was listed on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2017, said: “It really has been an incredible 18 months for the Rowen Homes’ team. We’ve always had a love for interiors and with our background in ecommerce, we thought why not combine the two?
“We pride ourselves on not just offering stunning luxury homeware, but also being a great place to work too.
“In fact, so much of our success to date really is down to the incredible team we have around us and the shared commitment they have to being brilliant in all that they are and do. Whether that is through the curation of our amazing collections, creating out of this world, viral content or providing exceptional customer service and delivery times – that’s what really sets us apart.
“And with the demand for the luxury glam aesthetic continuing to grow across the globe, we look forward to diversifying and expanding our offering further over the coming years, creating more jobs in the North East.”
Part of the firm’s growth can be credited to its social media content, which has racked up an impressive 60m views on TikTok. The firm’s Instagram follower numbers have also risen from 250,000 to 350,000.
Ms Hall also became an inadvertant TikTok star when a voice clip for a Rowen room reveal was reused by big name brands including Fenty Beauty, Benefit, Sephora, Look Fantastic and Anastasia Beauty.
She added: “It was a completely surreal experience, but one that made us smile and hopefully means we are doing something right!”
Andrew Hall, managing director and co-founder, added: “It’s been a fantastic 18 months, but our ambitions don’t stop there. In the next three years we are keen to achieve £30m in sales and to be operating from multiple sites as well as launching our very own delivery service.
“We know to achieve that it’s about continuing to invest in our brand and attract the right talent, which is why we are proud to have just launched our EMI employee share scheme. We believe everyone that works for Rowen Homes deserves to have a part in the businesses success and growth and we are very proud to be able to offer this.”
