THE SEASON coronavirus, huge stocks up in stores nationwide
thinks her customers will want to see something fresh. She said: “I’m currently trying to arrange deliveries so I have new stock when I open the doors.”
She also hopes that, for an industry that often feels wildly out of step with the seasons, lockdown could be a chance to reset. Traditionally, fashion shops put out summer stock as soon as the January sales are over.
Sarah said: “Rather than starting our summer sales in June, this could give us a good few weeks of selling at full price.”
Lou added: “If we are out of lockdown by early July, fashion could come out swinging. People won’t have been shopping for a long time. They’ll be looking for little indulgence purchases and the weather will be in perfect pairing for the season.”
But the major retailers with stock to shift may want the swimsuits out the door to make room for their autumn collections. Lou said: “There will be a lot of pressure from investors to just get it on sale.”
With a small unit in Edinburgh’s Thistle Street, when lockdown ends Sarah can operate limited opening hours and an appointment system.
Giant retailers, such as Primark, will be able to copy the supermarkets’ queueing regime but smaller chains may struggle to cope with socially distanced shopping.
Lou added: “Coronavirus has put a magnifying glass on every business’s weaknesses.
“They can’t simply pile it high and sell it cheap, which is what they would have done in previous seasons with unworn stock .
They’re stuck with stock they just can’t liquidate.
“If the one thing that is selling is spotty tops and you’ve thrown your weight behind stripes or trousers, it’s not easy to survive that.”