Reading NatWest’s Retail and Leisure Trends Report for 2021 has highlighted that independent non-essential retail is, in fact, extremely essential!

The best independent bridal boutiques are brilliant digital marketeers, who have prioritised digital experience within the customer journey and have already acknowledged the changing role of their physical stores.

Independent retail, particularly bridal retail, is already positioned to meet new customer demands. We have the “deep knowledge, flexible supply chains… and leaner flexible business models” that NatWest suggests that retail and leisure need.

Bridal retail IS leisure, it’s salon shopping at its very best.

Bridal retail entertains; we party, we indulge, we inspire. We turn our High Streets into destinations and we drive discretionary spend to our neighbour’s shops.

NatWest has suggested “new strategies are likely to involve using shorter, more flexible and resilient supply chains that are better equipped to deal with supply shocks. They will also need to address rapid changes in consumer behaviour as witnessed in recent months.” This is bridal retail at its best. Locally produced dresses from the UK and Europe and the best of owner operated brands further afield have meant bridal retail has proven resilient supply chains with proven environmental, social and governance credentials.

Bridal retail needs weddings on the roadmap for reopening and the UK Weddings Taskforce have presented five ‘priority enablers’ for this, to Government, including minimum guest numbers and socially distanced capacity. Further points are marked with an asterisk below.

Support for bridal retail

My ask for independent bridal retail is more explicit. While I urge my peers and our clients to support both the UK Weddings Taskforce and What About Weddings to champion and campaign for weddings and the wedding industry, retail has some very specific needs.

  • Build consumer confidence driven by a clear roadmap for weddings.
  • Build consumer confidence by the reintroduction of wedding insurance.
  • Allow ‘Open to fit.’ We need one-to-one technical and tailoring fittings to allow brides and groom to wear their outfits, to kick-start our supply chain and allow our suppliers to deliver.
  • Allow ‘Open to fit’ to encourage couples to keep the faith in their wedding dates and venues.
  • Support investment in bridal design and manufacture. We are ready to reopen and take orders but need help to support buying next year’s collections. A one-off grant that supports our supply chain.
  • A one-off Digital Technology Grant for training, IT and AI investment. · Extension of Business Rates Relief*.
  • Extension of VAT relief to all wedding businesses*.
  • Extension of jobs retention scheme (furlough)*.

Happy shopping cannot be reduced to a cardboard box with a blue tick, emotions delivered by a click. There is a very real need for human connection, for happy tears. Occasionally my Instagram feed will be interrupted by the need to speak up for a sector I love, for a team I consider family and for my brides who are everything to me.

Emma x

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