SECOND OPINION

Putting aside all our Covid fears, Harrogate happened! It actually happened, and it was bloomin’ brilliant to be back. Sue Lovell enjoyed almost every minute

The first morning, as long queues formed, it was so lovely to see people chatting excitedly, so glad to be back, eager to see what was on offer, and thankful to meet up with our friends and colleagues again. It’s been an eternity, and finally we were back together. We survived!

Getting our Covid passports ready to be inspected, some of us with masks in hand, we lined up, got our lanyards, showed absolutely no-one our proof of vaccinations, put our masks away, and got on with doing Harrogate. It was business as usual. Covid be dammed.

It felt liberating, even exhilarating to be back in the beautiful world of bridal, where hugs and kisses have been alien for so long, and a squeeze from a bridal shop comrade in arms felt good. It felt like home.

For a few glorious hours, that rolled into a few days, the Covid

threat that has dominated our lives for so long, didn’t seem to exist. Bars and restaurants were busy; we ate, laughed and were merry. We have learned to live with it, adapt our daily routines, and although we are still navigating the impact of Covid, we have to look to the future.

Shining The bright lights and glorious stands were just what we needed to see. After two tough seasons, we wanted sparkle, because as an industry, we need to sparkle. This industry needs to exude excitement, inject joyful anticipation into our shops, because after almost two years of uncertainty, it is time to shine.

Brides are ready to plan, and whether they want a sophisticated understated dress, or a dazzling statement gown, the one thing every bride has in common is that they want an experience – to try on and to enjoy and to bring the focus back to her, to the wedding day, and to the dress.

Our shops are going to be beacons of light, glittering and gorgeous and full of positivity. The gowns on offer are definitely meeting the wants and needs of tomorrow’s brides. They are joyful, they are fabulous and they are a clear signal that weddings are back, bold and bright and to be celebrated.

Forward-thinking I particularly loved how some designers are embracing sustainability and are looking into how we can reduce waste. Does a dress really need four labels, can we recycle more elements, are there ways less water can be used in producing the materials we need to create a dress?

For designers to take their responsibilities to both the environment and consumer is so encouraging. Looking ahead, rather than just filling an immediate or shortsighted need, is where we all need to be heading. Thinking of how we can adapt to the environmental changes that consumers will be demanding is how we stay fresh and relevant. We have to be innovative, creative and lead the way; if we don’t, we will just become a follower.

We need to know where we are heading, find ways of getting there, and invest in the future of this industry. Seeing sustainability in an industry renowned for its ‘one day’ use is inspiring, and needs to become the rule, not the exception.

Propress handheld steamers with the power of bigger machines will both reduce running costs, and help eliminate virus. Especially useful when we are dealing with one dress that needs a steam. Keeping an eye on the carbon footprint without compromising on quality can be found in many areas.

Obviously, suppliers and buyers are all looking to the future with confidence. We all understand that we have to work together to make this happen. We plan for success, and we deal with disappointment.

There have been some major supply issues this year, with bridesmaids and suits being affected in particular. To get a call from a supplier to say that what was ordered in plenty of time, is now not going to be delivered at all, is like a physical punch in the stomach. Someone on the end of the phone may hear our anguish, but they cannot possibly know what it is like to deliver that news to a bridal / grooms party face to face.

As shop owners, we are expected to have a Plan B, we are expected to have an answer, and we are expected to refund and compensate when we can’t offer either. So owners have worked together, and begged, borrowed, swapped and sobbed into our pillows at night to find a solution, because no one wants to let a customer down. But sometimes there is no alternative, other than to offer a sincere apology and a full refund. That damages our reputation, our confidence and our cash flow forecasts. We have to restore that confidence. Learning lessons I personally was disappointed to see a lack of suit hire companies exhibiting at Harrogate this year; that doesn’t instill confidence going forward. But I was also pleasantly surprised to see other companies that have let down so many shops and their brides. They knew they have a lot of very disappointed and angry customers, but they came anyway, and faced the criticism, and also showed

Learn the lessons from that they were 2020/21 – order early, sell planning for the future, and that from stock, ensure terms and says something. conditions are very clear, Because all of us, whether supplier and try to prepare for every or stockist, have faced unforeseen eventuality problems. These are not normal times, and I think we can all appreciate that sometimes there is absolutely nothing that can be done to avoid a terrible situation. Covid happens. But facing up to that, acknowledging that there have been supply issues and reassuring customers that steps are being taken to ensure this won’t happen next year – well that in itself is commendable. You can’t do that if you don’t show up! And I get it. It costs a lot to be an exhibitor, to fund and staff a stand, and businesses have been hit hard, but confidence in certain sectors has been rocked, and needs to be restored. Accountability, explanations and acknowledgments that there have been serious issues, a lack of communication and a lack of an understanding of how shops and their customers have been affected, both with damage to reputation as well as financial damage. Apologies and re-assurance that lessons have been learned – that is what is needed.

Many shops have had to refund huge amounts, and have had very hard and upsetting conversations with distraught and often furious customers, and that has devastating effects, and I am not convinced that this is fully understood by some suppliers. If they were there, perhaps I could have asked them.

So while this year HBS was a huge success for everyone – I’m sure, it certainly felt a triumphant return – we do have to remain both positive and cautious.

Boris has not given us huge confidence that further lockdowns will not take place over the winter months. We have to move on, adapt and have a few Plan Bs, Cs and Ds up our sleeves. We have to have confidence, in both supplier and customer, we have to trust in the economy, that we will be able to trade fully. We have to buy and look to the future, because right now that’s all we’ve got.

If we stop buying, if we hold off for another year, there won’t be the choice for our customer. We will limit our own possibilities, and in turn create further issues.

Communication is vital Social media posts from across the industry have been incredible, showing our customers that we are here, excited and prepared for another year of uncertainty with confidence. We are better prepared. We have shown up, stepped up and f’d up at times, but not without taking responsibility, learning and educating ourselves.

Covid is here to stay, many of us brought it home from Harrogate. It will now inevitably spread through families and staff again, weddings are still being cancelled because of it, people are still getting sick, and we still haven’t quite got our heads around how to stop the spread.

But what we can do is learn all the lessons from 2020/21 – order early, sell from stock, ensure terms and conditions are very clear, and try to prepare for every eventuality. It’s exhausting, but we now know that when we are in a crisis, we can turn to our industry colleagues, and we will find a way, an alternative or, if nothing else, a shoulder.

Mask wearing, social distancing, hand sanitising – that has to be part of our daily life for a while yet. We owe it to our customers to keep them safe and protect them and their day, as much as we can,

I didn’t live up to that example during at the show. I wasn’t thinking about Covid at all once I walked through the doors. It was just a thrill to be back, to hug my friends, to laugh out loud, to drink to eat and be normal for once. It felt comfortable, natural and good to think about buying, rather than masks and the miseries of Covid.

But as my Mum used to say, on more occasions than should have been necessary (I was obviously a very slow learner), “you won’t get out of this mess with that attitude, lady” and we won’t, not yet.