The TikTok effect has helped a burgeoning Kiwi fragrance house land a $24 million deal with US retail giants Walmart and Target.

Entrepreneurs Grant Taylor and Renee Lee founded Maison&Muse in 2021 with the aim of creating luxury home fragrance products without the high-end price tag.

After going viral on TikTok last year, the brand’s wild vanilla and caramel scented Marylin candle became the top-selling candle in Australia.

On the back of that success, Maison&Muse will hit the shelves in 3400 Walmart and Target stores across the United States next month.

Breaking into the US market had always been the “north star” for the business, Lee said, and when the opportunity to meet with the global retail giants came up, she and Taylor jumped at it.

Lee, who was 25 weeks pregnant when she flew to the US to meet with executives, said the face-to-face contact was instrumental in landing the deal, which could be a “game-changer” for the business.

While their success started with a scented candle, it’s not just homes the business is hoping to refresh. First to launch Stateside will be its car fragrance range.

“There are 96 million cars in the US registered to women,” Lee said.

“However up until now the mainstream car fragrance market has either masculine or very colourful, childish designs.”

That left a gap in the market, which Lee and Taylor, along with their soon-to-be-stockists hope to fill.

Target and Walmart will also offer a range of Maison&Muse cleaning products, including spray cleaners and dishwashing liquid.

Taylor and Lee are also responsible for three other brands created under their start-up, Moxx Brands, including climate-positive liquid hair care brand Everblue.

Moxx Brands products are sold in more than 6000 stores in four countries.

Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/