The Fragrance Shop pays tribute to Chief Technical Officer Paul Maxwell who passed away at weekend

Paul Maxell passed away suddenly over the weekend. At the time of his death, he served as Chief Technical Officer at The Fragrance Shop, having joined the retailer in 2023 from JD Sports Fashion (where he held the role of Director of Multi-Channel Technology and Operations).

In a LinkedIn post, The Fragrance Shop said: “We are deeply saddened to share that Paul Maxwell, our Chief Technical Officer and a valued member of our senior management team, passed away suddenly over the weekend.”

It added: “Paul made a lasting impact during his time with us. He brought calm leadership, deep technical expertise, and a genuine care for the people he worked with. His contributions to our business and our teams were significant, and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Paul’s family at this incredibly difficult time.”

2024 RTIH Innovation Awards

The Fragrance Shop picked up the Bricks and Mortar Innovation gong at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards.

This was in recognition of its new experiential flagship on London’s Oxford Street which redefines fragrance retail through cutting-edge technology and personalied experiences. Spanning 2,300 sq ft, the store offers interactive features such as ‘Lift and Learn’ displays and an AI driven 'Algorithmic Perfumery,' allowing customers to create bespoke fragrances in minutes.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

AI will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.