I DID IT MY WAY

Emma Hartley and her team were away when news of the pandemic broke and the full implications were realised. Here’s how she coped in the months that followed

We were on a buying trip to Amsterdam when the corona virus situation started to unfold but, apart from taking a bottle of hand sanitiser with us, it was business as usual and we had a fabulous time. Little did I know that two weeks later I would be locking up my shop and saying goodbye to my staff not knowing if and when we would meet again. It felt surreal that,

after 22 years of graft, my business could potentially end this way.

I had already sensed a mood change after the Amsterdam trip, as terms like ‘self- isolation’, ‘social distancing’, ‘lockdown’ and ‘R rate’ became part of everyday conversation. I decided to hope for the best whilst planning for a zombie apocalypse.

We started contacting brides whose dresses had arrived and asking

them to collect and more importantly which got more sales coming in. I pay for them. I knew that if we were to was even approached by a company survive we needed money in the bank asking me to do a video about my not hanging in a storage cupboard. It business to be shown in schools to was difficult dealing with heartbroken inspire children from disadvantaged brides whose backgrounds weddings had so I felt like been cancelled I held a virtual lockdown I was doing adding the extra inconvenience sale and managed to sell 14 something worthwhile. of having to dresses donating to Cancer I also painted collect earlier than planned; Research for every sale as we the shop with the help of however, my would do if we were open my hubby and worst fear was daughter and that if we didn’t had a massive survive the pandemic their dresses clear out. It was lovely looking back at would be locked in our shop. I also all the memories of my bridal career. worried that if a designer went down In fact, I think I worked harder during our brides dresses would be lost. lockdown than I have in years and Focusing on the present of working in a different way. There was so much to worry about in addition to the obvious concerns Dealing with suppliers about the health of our nearest and But it did feel very lonely being dearest. Once the initial shock had a bridal retailer in those first few worn off I knew I had to fight for weeks. The only contact from some survival for my business, my team suppliers was emails with links to and of course our brides. new collections. It felt weird that I

I couldn’t bear the thought of letting was expected to order new samples anyone down. I have faced many whilst having a shop full of stock I was challenges throughout my years in unable to sell. I was still trying to get bridal retail but this is the most difficult dresses in for brides to collect just in situation I have ever had to navigate. case the worst happened but some However, I love my job and refuse to suppliers closed down completely let a virus destroy all my hard work. and many were demanding payment

I set up an office in my summer up front. house and was determined to make Going forward I would be hoping sure we were one of the survivors. for reduced minimums, extended I realised that social media was the payment plans and special deals to secret to our success as it was the help and encourage retailers to start only way we could connect with new spending on new samples. We must brides and keep up the morale of our keep the supply chain moving and existing brides. I had always shied need to explore ways of doing this away from being filmed but I had no without the retailers taking the brunt choice but to step up and get on with of the crisis after three months with the job. no revenue.

I held a virtual lockdown sale and

actually really enjoyed the challenge managed to sell 14 dresses donating Moving on to Cancer Research for every sale as Since reopening, I have been we would do if we were open. absolutely delighted with how busy

We had a ‘locked down in your we are. We have achieved a 100% wedding dress’ competition to give conversion rate with appointments our brides and my team a bit of light fully booked until mid-August. Yes, entertainment and they loved it. I held it’s different and, as expected, brides various prize draws and filmed myself are nervous but then so are we! We showing off our hair accessories, have been open and honest about the measures we have in place and are very aware that we can’t guarantee that everyone will be 100% safe, but let’s face it… we can’t guarantee a bride won’t be run over by a bus as she crosses the street to our boutique!

As I look round at all our lovely sparkly dresses it feels like waking up from a nightmare. But I am under no illusions; I suspect it is one of those dreams where as soon as you close your eyes again the nightmare resumes. Opening our doors again is just the beginning. The battle is very much ongoing.

We need to stand together as an industry and support each other through the weeks and months ahead; it is not going to be easy. We need to be resilient and prepared to adapt quickly to the ever changing environment.

E M M A ’ S T O P T I P S F O R S U R V I V A L

• Focus on what you can do and try not to worry about factors you have no control over.

• Keep control of your cash. You need money in the bank to pay bills, wages etc, not stock hanging on your rails.

• Look after your team they are your brothers in arms.

• Celebrate every achievement no matter how small – first sale, first good review. These things matter now more than ever.

• Get out into the great outdoors with your team – it is a fantastic way to team build and talk through any worries they may have.

• Do everything you can to stay safe yourself but most of all stay strong.

• We are bridal retailers. We are a determined, talented group of people. It may take a while but we will come back from this.