Bridal stitch-up
Fighting for your rights
THEY make dreams come true, but the owners of small bridal boutiques hit hard by lockdown reckon they have been unjustly jilted after losing out in the latest round of help for struggling traders.
An iconic part of local high streets, hundreds of the independent wedding shops – almost all belonging to women – have found themselves caught out for being classified as non-essential retail, something they vehemently reject.
That makes them only eligible for a smaller restart grant, as restrictions lift, compared to those offering personal care and wellbeing, a category that includes tattoo parlours, hairdressers and nail bars.
“There’s no understanding of what we do,” Judith Wade and Laurie Barnett, the owners of Epernay Bridal in Gosforth, Newcastle, protested to Crusader.
“We don’t function like other high street stores. Everything is personal care, the experience and our service are part of why our customers love us.
“Wedding dresses are personally fitted and the one they buy always needs altering so it’s a perfect fit. We sell a package with hair and make-up services too.”
The women have put their all into their business since opening two years ago and their glamorous dresses have been a huge hit. But these are the highest value part of what Epernay offers and that’s what placed them in the non-essential category for this funding.
While they have been awarded £2,667, they stand to miss out on several thousands of pounds more of vital support. Local authorities administer the £5 billion scheme based on government advice and Newcastle City Council has rejected Epernay’s appeal.
But Judith and Laurie are part of a growing band of unhappy owners who say not only is the grouping unfair, but the grants have become a postcode lottery too. Another wedding shop owner, whose sales have fallen 80 per cent over the past year, told Crusader of her “kick in the teeth” when, after she got a letter awarding her a higher £8,000 grant, she got another saying it had been “paid in error”.
“I now have a £5,333 repayment demand, the confusion wears you down,” she said.
A spokesman for BEIS, the department for business, said: “We understand how difficult the pandemic has been, especially for those in the wedding industry.We have issued clear guidance to local authorities on business categorisation and grant eligibility, and continue to monitor them.”
Trade body the British Independent Retailers Association is calling for a rethink: “Bridal boutiques are not just dress shops – the services they offer are so much more,” says chief executive Andrew Goodacre.
“It will take a long time for their market to fully return.
“The restart grants are there to help businesses to restart, and those most affected should receive the most.
“I believe that bridal boutiques are among those businesses most affected.”