UnderlinesMagazine.com speaks to Georgina Willis, owner of Guilt Lingerie in Petworth open since September 2006.
I closed the shop on Monday 23 March, following Mothers’ Day weekend. Guilt has a website site for online (which has been operational for 7 years) and we hope to update it soon.
How are you retaining your customer loyalty whilst your shop is closed?
We have texted our mobile database with words of support.
Do you use social media already to keep in touch with customers? Are you considering adding any new media such as Skype, Zoom to keep in touch and do online appointments?
Yes, we do through the form of Instagram, occasional tweets on Twitter and posts on Facebook. So far we have preferred customers to come into the shop for fittings but if they get in touch we will try any form of media to help and support them, and achieve sales. We are up-to-date with Zoom and are happy to use it.
Are you still doing any private appointments?
We are not doing any private appointments at the moment, nor have we been asked.
In your enforced leave from your business, do you think you are being well enough informed by national government?
National government is keeping us informed. However local government has been slow with no monetary help so far.
Have you had difficulties accessing or getting information on the Business Interruption Loan?
Yes, we have had difficulty and have been unable to raise any form of reply from our business banking team, despite many e-mails.
Can you take advantage for yourself and/or any full or part time staff of the Job Retention Scheme?
Yes, but as of now it is still not available through the government’s website. If we are to continue to function in a skeletal form without income then the government, banks and local councils need to urgently honour their promises. As you know we are a hands on business and our jobs cannot continue with social distancing without depriving the NHS of valuable PPE suits.
If you are still selling (online or at a distance) have you noticed any trends towards soft and unstructured garments (as opposed to fitted corsetry)?
Before closing the general trend with very young customers has been towards soft bras and unstructured garments. One suspects this is out of lack of interest for those of smaller sizes but there is still interest in being fitted from those with larger cups, albeit soft cup bras rather than padded bras. Customers will enter the shop enquiring about non-wired bras but during the fitting if they try on both (wired and non-wired) they always seem to end up purchasing the wired bra when given the choice.
Where do you think small independents can put their energy to future-proof their business e.g. digital assets, niche products and your ‘public’ image to customers?
Small independents need to put their energy into securing their business financially and restoring some form of normality to their operations, but we must be aware of the next stage in online sales and are looking to project our image and story through Instagram and also sell product on an Instagram platform.
Would you consider doing an online poll with your customers, running stories to keep them occupied and asking them what they would like to see in your store when it re-opens?
I’m not sure our customers can face an online poll at the moment but we are considering running stories about the heroic efforts some of our suppliers are undertaking in making masks and products to help with counteracting the Coronavirus. These are stories we will run when things are a little better. We feel that everybody now has known of or knows someone who has died from this terrible disease and it is not appropriate to push our loyal customers during this difficult time. However, once we can see a light at the end of the tunnel we will certainly be injecting a feel-good factor into our communications with our customers.
Have you been using your ‘face’ as the face of the business online?
I don’t use my face per se but work as a team and project ourselves to our customers as The Guilt Girls. This encourages both staff and customers to feel part of the Guilt family.
Has this crisis given you food for thought and inspired new creativity now you actually have more time to analyse?
The crisis has certainly given us more time to reflect and consider directions for the future. We also believe that a lot of people are tidying their wardrobes, including their underwear drawers, and they will be ready for a fresh start and lots of replacements as soon as allowed. Apart from that we have a very messy office and stock room that needs urgent attention as soon as the first rainy day comes along during lockdown. This is a solitary endeavour along with decorating and cleaning the shop.
Have you any initiatives for special deliveries to charity or to the medical profession?
There was a request in the press for 40,000 bras and pants to be given to NHS key workers. We are looking into this; we are very happy to help where we can.
