Tallulah Lingerie is situated in Islington, London, and owner Nicola Adams opened the shop in November 2003.
Nicola is passionate about her business: “I think I am still in shock at the situation if I am totally honest and trying to hold it all together for my family and customers. It is slowly sinking in, but that first week was very hard. I didn’t post on social media about selling, just pretty and positive pictures and posts until I felt ready and comfortable with it, in this time customers had been reaching out asking to buy things so this really kept me going. I closed Tallulah with a heavy heart on Saturday 21st March. However we do have a limited amount of stock.”
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?
Same as we do via social media, staying in touch and writing regular blogs. We do use social media to keep in touch, Instagram is a big deal for us in Tallulah, and has been for the last couple of years. We are upping our game in the offerings and reaching out to our local community that would normally shop in-store to offer them the FaceTime appointments and video messages that we have already been using as our key customer service tool over these last few years.
We noticed our social media interaction growing in the build up to lock down with customers reaching out via instagram for deliveries before we closed, and still we see growth during lockdown.
Are you still doing any private appointments?
Yes, the private appointments are done via FaceTime and work well, we are lucky we can draw on our experience here. It hasn’t always been easy over the last 16 years and we have learnt to adapt to challenges thrown our way, this is just another one to overcome and overcome we will!
It helps that we have a file on every customer and currently only booking fittings with existing clients – in time this will be expanded to new customers but taking it slowly. I can fit a bra with my eyes closed after the amount I have over the years, but a FaceTime fitting takes practice and luckily that is exactly what we have been doing. Having the customer file I can draw on the knowledge and know their style and their personalities from past purchases, helping in what is shown to the customer during our appointment. It is important to offer all customers a genuine and authentic Tallulah Experience and bra fitting, so nothing is compromised. I would still rather sell nothing then the wrong size!
In your enforced leave from your business, do you think you are being well enough informed by national government?
This is such a crazy situation, one that feels like we are stuck in a horror movie and those 5pm briefings are becoming the new consistent in our daily lives. I hope the government are doing their best, but this opinion changes daily. The guidelines are just too vague. The promises are just not being implemented as per the briefings.
Have you had difficulties accessing or getting information on the Business Interruption Loan?
So far I haven’t looked into any Business Interruption loans and depending how long we are in lockdown this is something that I hope not to.
Can you take advantage for yourself and/or any full or part time staff of the Job Retention Scheme?
Being a Limited Company we are not entitled to the Job retention scheme.
Have you had any difficulty with your landlords?
Luckily no, I’m very grateful to have a very understanding landlord, seeing as his building has been looked after like it was my own for over 16 years, he realises that he would rather have a tenant in his building when this is all over then not! So yes, we have a 3 month holiday from mid-April.
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)?
Yes I see a trend, we are selling more silks for sure. We always do sell lots as we actively encourage underwear as outerwear and the silk slips double up as dresses, so nice and easy being comfortable yet chic to wear whilst working from home, plus they are much easier to fit.
Where do you think independent stores can put their energy to future-proof their business e.g. digital assets, niche products and your ‘public’ image to customers?
It is imperative as an indie boutique to stick to your USP, if you do not believe in selling online then don’t. Now is a time to be strong and brave and also creative, so now is more important than ever to maintain your public image. This is a good time to source new brands that we wouldn’t normally have time to do, connect with new indie labels with the possibilities of working together in the future, no need to make promises of big orders, just introduce yourself and your beautiful independent business.
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 wouldn’t actually with regards to the online poll, I have never followed seasonal trends as to what we should have in Tallulah so I’m not about to ask customers now. They shop in Tallulah because I know what they want before they even know it themselves, that is what they trust in me, so if I were to start asking them I feel they would lose their confidence in me. The boudoir may be closed but that doesn’t mean I have lost the ability to run it.
There are constantly new stories on Instagram of stock they can buy, links to the website, articles that I think are of interest to them and more mundane things of pretty flowers on daily walks, positive and loving Stay Home messages and pictures that customers send in, and the home deliveries I am doing in the local area. The feedback from the stories is inspiringly positive, helping me to keep them up as it is time consuming making sure even the stories are ‘on brand’.
Have you been using your ‘face’ as the face of the business online?
At the moment I am using my face more yes, I feel it shows a more realistic person behind the brand. Tallulah represents a real woman, a mother or a wife or a friend just like lots of our customers. At this scary time where more than ever we need our customers support and reaching out using my face is the best tool I have right now, so lots of selfies are taking place!!!
Has this crisis given you food for thought and inspired new creativity now you actually have more time to analyse?
We have spent a long time working on our social media presence over the last few years, having all this time to think has just proved this was totally the right thing to do. I am working on ways to keep my content current, interesting and true to our brand. Creating new blog posts that are relevant is taking up my time and the photography.
I am so proud of my customers, the way they have reached out to share love, I plan to find a way to really thank them when this is all over and Tallulah has reopened.
Have you any initiatives for special deliveries to charity or to the medical profession?
Yes, we are working with a local charity that helps woman and children against domestic violence.
