Thơmore’s First Shelf: How Our Scents Found Their First Home

Instead of lining up each bottle on a shelf with our own hands, our first “physical” appearance began with a carefully packed box sent by coach to a small souvenir shop in Tràng An, Ninh Bình. The feeling was strangely mixed: half relief that our “homeless” scents had finally found their first stop, half anxiety as we watched the box leave. Among countless bright souvenirs and big brands in a faraway place, would anyone stop in front of Thơmore?

How does a new local brand find its voice?

For a local brand, the early struggle is not only finding a place on the shelf but learning how to speak. At first there were just seven scents on that shelf, alone and quiet. Little by little, the team realised that however beautiful the packaging, it cannot tell its whole soul without someone to narrate it.

So we rolled up our sleeves again. We designed a catalogue explaining the meaning behind the brand and the collection, and built small models that patiently told little cultural stories to bring the shelf to life. We hoped that every customer who lingered would not only try a scent but also “touch” the inspiration from Vietnamese culture that Thơmore wanted to share.

From one corner in Ninh Bình to more than 60 stockists

From that corner of a shop in Ninh Bình, the bottles began to travel further. Thơmore took the train to the dreamy old capital of Huế, met the sea breeze in Đà Nẵng, flew out to the island of Phú Quốc and found its way into the heart of Hà Nội.

Every big brand starts on a small corner of a shelf.

Thank you to those “anonymous” customers who happened to linger in front of a modest shelf, giving Thơmore a chance to speak and to travel the length of the country.

Today, Thơmore is proud to be stocked at more than 60 consignment points across Vietnam. Our displays are more polished now, but our spirit is the same as on day one. We keep striving to carry our Vietnamese-inspired scents closer to kindred spirits at home, and we dream of one day setting out for wider waters.

Thank you for always being here and growing with Thơmore! ❤️