A day in the life inside the GEORGE & EDI store

Scents have the power to stir memories, shift moods and bring warmth to a home. Bex stepped into the world of GEORGE & EDI to discover what goes on behind the scenes in the day in Waipukarau’s most heavenly scented store. From carefully blending notes to hand-pouring candles and perfecting each scent, she found a world where chemistry meets creativity and where every fragrance tells a story of craftsmanship, passion and place.

Every day brings new ideas, laughter and the scent of something beautiful at GEORGE & EDI

What inspired the name GEORGE & EDI? The home fragrance brand GEORGE & EDI is named after the parents of the original founders, sisters Sarah and Rose. ‘George’ comes from Sarah’s interior furnishings label – Georgie Logan – a nod to their dad’s family name. ‘Edi’ comes from Rose’s fashion label, honouring her mum’s side of the family – Edi Garrett. When the sisters collaborated on a project, they decided to join the names, and GEORGE & EDI was born. A simple name, but one rich with family history and personal meaning.

What drew you to opening your store in Waipukurau? Waipukurau was always the chosen location for GEORGE & EDI, central, accessible and deeply connected to the community. When Kelly and her fiancé, Kane, joined the venture, they knew this was where the brand would grow. Within just four months, they had resigned from their jobs, sold their home and moved to the town to bring the vision to life.

Julie lives nearby at Porangahau Beach, and Penny also has a house there, giving both of them a personal connection to the region. Julie, meanwhile, was in a job she loved and had never imagined leaving, but when the opportunity came to join Kelly and Penny, she jumped in wholeheartedly.

What makes a good fragrance in your eyes (or nose)? For Julie, Kelly and Penny, fragrance isn’t just a habit, it’s part of who we are. We love the ritual of finding a scent that feels like an extension of your personality or mood. Fragrance has the power to transport, comfort and energise. A good fragrance has depth, balance and emotion. It unfolds like a story – bright at first, warming as it settles, leaving a trail that feels unmistakably you.

Shelves of scent and colour – a glimpse inside the Waipukurau shop

Where is GEORGE & EDI compared to when you started? From a small Wanaka-based brand, GEORGE & EDI has grown into a boutique fragrance house with over 140 stockists across New Zealand and Australia. The heart of the brand remains the same: handcrafted, beautiful fragrance. The range now includes room sprays, hand creams, hand and body washes, soaps and cream perfumes.

Today, we connect with customers through stockists, our online store and our Waipukurau retail space. Since taking ownership in March 2025, we’ve strengthened systems and processes from logistics to production, ensuring the brand grows sustainably while remaining authentic.

What has been the most memorable experience for you? There have been countless milestones: moving hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of components, setting up our production space and designing our first retail store. But the moment that truly stands out was meeting Sarah and Rose Agnew, the original founders of GEORGE & EDI. Hearing first-hand the passion and purpose behind the brand reminded us just how much love and craftsmanship sit at its heart.

Also memorable are the quieter moments, sitting together in our Waipukurau store, surrounded by fragrance, reflecting on how far we’ve come. Those shared laughs and small victories feel just as special as the big milestones.

Describe a typical day in the store. Step inside GEORGE & EDI in Waipukurau and the first thing you notice is calm: the gentle scent of candles, neatly lined shelves, and a sense of order. But the real rhythm is behind the scenes. Orders come through to Kelly, who manages ‘pick, pack and post’ with Claire’s support. Bronwyn handles production, hand labelling candles, pouring diffusers and restocking shelves. Julie oversees customer relationships, stockist enquiries, trends, marketing, sales and new-product development.

Mondays are planning days. The three of us review performance, discuss priorities and set the week’s direction. What customers see in the store is just the tip of the iceberg; behind every product is a carefully orchestrated operation built on logistics, design, finance and teamwork.

How do you decide what fragrances make it into your collection? Our focus has been on honouring the integrity of the existing collection while refining it thoughtfully. We inherited a portfolio of beautifully balanced scents, each with a story and loyal followin

g, and we’ve spent time understanding what resonates with customers.

Decisions often centre on what stays rather than what’s added. Feedback from customers and stockists, and wider fragrance trends, guide us. Sometimes a scent that might have left the range, like ‘Rhubarb’ or ‘8866.We.Surrender.to.Sleep’, stays because of its loyal following. Future fragrances will be developed with leading fragrance houses, ensuring each scent earns its place: modern yet timeless, comforting yet quietly distinctive.

What’s the hardest fragrance you’ve ever had to capture? ‘8866.We.Surrender.to.Sleep’ is the most complex fragrance in our collection. Built around French lavender, jasmine and a soft touch of leather, each component must be blended with absolute precision. Because of this complexity, we continue to blend it in-house. The result is extraordinary: a grounding, ethereal scent, best lit an hour before bed. Available as a candle and room spray, it’s featured in leading New Zealand lodges, reflecting its sophistication and enduring appeal.

What’s something people would be surprised to learn about candle or fragrance making? Most people assume candle making is as simple as pouring wax and adding scent. The truth is, it’s more like composing a symphony. Each fragrance has top, middle and base notes that must unfold in perfect harmony. The wax, the wick – even the temperature – every tiny detail changes the final experience. A candle isn’t just a scent; it’s a moment. It can transport you to a memory, calm a busy mind, or make your home feel instantly welcoming. We love that something so small can have such a big impact. And yes, it’s often the tiniest element, like a single wick or a carefully measured drop of fragrance, that makes all the difference.