Emily Harbon opened up her lingerie shop, & She Knows, in 2012 in Bawtry (outside Doncaster) and admits that 2020 has brought challenges never experienced before…”if I knew then what I know now about lingerie retail in the UK, would I have had the gumption to open such a high end boutique in the depth of the worst recession the country has seen for many decades … probably not!”
“I was naïve and a bit reckless. However, eight years on I have built a strong and loyal customer base many of whom have become my friends. Not friends I socialise with but I would certainly have a coffee or share a bottle of wine with if the opportunity arose. Discerning ladies who seek me out for my brands and advice and service from who I am privileged to receive such support (pardon the pun!).”
Life Before Lingerie
“I had spent a career in quite male dominated environments in law, IT and construction as a legal clerk initially, and then an IT trainer and finally a Business Analyst, working between a company and its system developers specking business requirements and testing and training as well as being a certified MS IT Trainer. I am a people person, I have compassion and I love to learn. I am a communicator but to be honest in most of the roles I had had to this point in my career I had not had particularly good working relationships with women. I don’t know why but I knew that I wanted to do something that was more female oriented. In short I wanted a ‘girly’ job.
“When a friend and I came to the same turning point in time and needed to do something for ourselves due to quite different circumstances we decided to open a boutique. We did our research and it soon materialised that the small market town of Bawtry where my friend lived had several ladieswear shops and no lingerie boutique. It seemed like a no brainer. We researched high end lingerie retailers in the UK and of course Rigby and Peller in London came up at the top, so off we went to London to check out the competition and decided we could provide the very same service to the ladies of Yorkshire/Nottinghamshire.
Emily & Chris Harbon
The Shop Opening
“We opened & SHE KNOWS… on 28th June 2012 and from that day I have not stopped building on our product knowledge, fitting technique and industry experience very quickly adding swimwear and nightwear to our offering. My business partner left the business in January 2014 and I have been on my own ever since save for some fabulous staff members who have made the journey less lonely and lots more fun at times.
But then came COVID-19?
“Fast forward to the beginning of 2020, I set off thinking Brexit was going to be the biggest challenge I had ever faced however the scenario that quickly unfolded was unimaginable to all retail and hospitality. As a small independent boutique, we have had to be just as quick. Nineteen weeks since the beginning of lockdown and twelve weeks of closure but this did not mean twelve weeks downtime. Thinking on our feet, turning on a sixpence and all that but at the same time applying strategic industry knowledge to our small operation and still showing empathy to our clients, whilst trying to fathom when we returned how to maintain an excellent personal fitting service but in a safe environment. Not much then!
“Luckily for me I thrive on a challenge professionally and I dare to say this will be the biggest challenge of my entire career. Keeping my precious small business that I have invested so heavily not just going but healthy. This cannot happen without teamwork across the board. So far the help and assistance I have received from the Government, my landlord, my brands, my utility companies, my merchant services has been great. What I mean is I could not have survived without it.
And the future?
“My brands in particular have been amazing. 90% of the brands I work with I’m proud to say are European. When it became apparent the UK was going into lockdown I saw a few of the independents cancelling summer pre orders even though they were due for imminent delivery. I understand. Everyone was panicking. It’s a knee jerk reaction to protect yourself in the ‘there and then’.
“I have tried my hardest not to cancel anything. Some of these orders were placed at the London Swimwear Show last July. Since then materials have been sourced, the goods have been produced and the stock is there to ship, where does this leave the supplier if we say we cannot take it? I have negotiated with my brands in France, Belgium and Germany and they have all been happy to do this. We have worked out deferred payments, extended terms and some discounts. However this will over time ensure that everything keeps turning. Not as fast as we would like or are used to but arguably we didn’t see this coming. This is what we need to do and because of this our professional bonds have strengthened.
“I cannot imagine the gravity of the cancelled orders from the big players on the high street and in the retail parks and the financial repercussions this has had, but that is an entirely separate thread as I believe that there is opportunity to re-assess where those big orders were coming from and the ecological impact, sustainability factors and the exploitation of human welfare to illicit their production. We need to get back but we can only do this together. More than ever people need to support their local high streets and businesses.”
