Remote Online Design with the Client

“The business was set up 20 years ago in Kibbutz Mahanayim, and two and a half years ago I bought it together with my partner, Inbal Akrish. It is an impressive warehouse that extends over 400 square meters and contains the best that Morocco has to offer—from traditional cups and crockery, through fabrics and textiles, home and garden furniture, and traditional tools, to clothes, shoes and fashion items. We might be based in the far north, but because our business is so unique and it has such a cool vibe, many of our customers from central and southern Israel who are traveling in the area combine it with a trip to visit us.

“During the first lockdown we furloughed our workers, but we have since brought them back. We understand that if we want to survive, we need to work on our online presence. We had a small sales website that we had set up previously, and during the pandemic we gave it a complete overhaul. We invite a photographer to take pictures of the items, and we describe them and include prices. We are very active on Facebook and Instagram and collaborate with celebrities. Later, we also added a new service—online design. The client films a video of their home, sends it to us, and we offer suggestions—how to design the space and what to include in it.

“There is a clear need to expand during this period. So we developed alternative methods. For example, instead of the one delivery driver we would occasionally work with, today we work with a courier service as well as operating a special delivery service for furniture and large items. I’m just disappointed that all of our business development has been brought to a halt in the last year. Imports from Morocco continue to arrive, and we are in touch with our suppliers there, but it isn’t the same as it was before COVID-19, when we used to fly to Morocco and fill the container ourselves with things we had bought from drifting around the markets or from meeting new suppliers. So we are waiting for the skies to open so that we can continue to move forward on that too.”

Across

1 Twin full of spirit rejected such mysteries (7)

5 Communication of formal agreement to get rid of Republican (7)

9 Things smokers use to protect new teeth (5)

10 Drama at sea with sick old creature (9)

11 Irascible type’s gone out after seeing dog dirt (10)

12 Leaves with no parking skills (4)

14 Amazement of criminal upset splinter group (12)

18 Metamorphosis contains a tense exchange of words (12)

21 Scheme corporation has to employ student (4)

22 Corner with talk of flower display (10)

25 Egomaniac should be upset and sorry (4,5)

26 Do very well in old prison when cut off (5)

27 The French must be in because there’s quiet (7)

28 Son will be taken in by respectable lineage (7)

Down

1 Result of endless personal belongings (6)

2 Dismiss a large part of design, or exclude (6)

3 Flies prophet across South American capital (10)

4 Dross incorporating new vernacular (5)

5 Succeed with Italian – you must be joking! (4,3,2)

6 Closed union may be set up to employ such a model (4)

7 Reacting rashly perhaps to unusual ill-grace (8)

8 Number moving south with a need, disheartened (8)

13 Trained surgeons will accept credit for parasites (10)

15 Suggest job with university behind schedule (9)

16 Choices underpinning island church’s help for climbers (3-5)

17 Relaxed at home because mother left (8)

19 Good point that hurt, filling time unoccupied (6)

20 Fanatic’s beginning to expect much after the last letter (6)

23 Took a corner with no right to be on pitch (5)

24 Curry favour, seeing supporter welcome wife (4)