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Back to the shops: Why we love small businesses
Posted by Claire Boote, on April 9, 2021.
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s)
As we inch our way along the roadmap to normality, hands-up who’s hot-footing it back to the high-street? Are you desperate for a professional blow-dry, planning a get-together over an al fresco coffee, or looking forward to a leisurely browse around the shops? It’s time to get back to the streets – heaven knows your high street needs you!
While we haven’t been deprived of shops entirely (big thank you to all of those retailers working throughout the pandemic to keep us in food, medicine and any other essentials), it’s great to know that we can now indulge in the non-essential – trying on clothes before buying (remember that?), browsing the pretty things while looking for a birthday gift, rummaging through the goodies at a charity shop – the little things that bring a bit of pleasure to any shopping trip. With over a year of on/off lockdowns, non-essential retailers, particularly small independent traders, have been hit hard by the pandemic. Your little shopping trip can be a lifeline for their business, so grab your face mask and anti-bac gel, get out there and support your local stores!
At Royce HQ we’ve been extra busy with online orders, but are so glad to hear that our stockists – mostly your local boutiques and small shops – have been given the green light to open the doors to their wonderful customers again. While we work hard to provide excellent remote fitting and online shopping service, we know there’s nothing like the face-to-face experience you get from visiting one of our stockists. Here’s why…
In-person bra fitting
We know our Royce designers do an excellent job over the phone but nothing beats an in-person fitting. In a shop, you’ll have a chance to try on a range of alternative sizes, ask for advice, and leave with the best-fitting bras there and then (no waiting for the post!). Our stockists are all trained fitters with many having completed our training for maternity and post-surgery fitting, so you’ll be getting the best advice when buying bras for after birth or post-operation. And if you’re taking your daughter or young relative to buy their first bra, our stockists have seen it all before and know exactly how to make the process simple and embarrassment-free.
[Photo credit, Royce Stockist: Billy Morrison, Upfront and Personal *pre covid]
Touch and see
How many times have you ordered something online only to find that the real thing looks completely different? Even with the best pictures real life colour can sometimes be difficult to determine, and you’ll never get a proper feel for the fabric until it’s in your hands. Visiting a shop gives us a chance to have a proper sensory experience, the touch and see, which helps guide us to the right purchases.
Browse the rails
Your local boutique works hard to source a range of lingerie that they know their customers will be interested in. Alongside the beautiful Royce Lingerie designs (and look out for many of the new styles we’ve launched since lockdowns began), you’ll find bras from a range of other brands (we understand that you’ll share your underwear drawer with us and a host of other labels – don’t worry, we’re all friends here!). If you can’t find what you’re looking for, any stockist worth their salt will be happy to do special orders, or seek out something they think you’ll like for the next time you pop in. As not all stockists stockcarry the full range of Royce bras, if you have a style in mind, we recommend calling ahead to save a unnecessary journey.
[Photo credit, Royce Stockist: The Bra Consultancy, Maldon]
Have a chat – we miss it!
Many people say that one of the good things to come out of lockdown is an appreciation for their local shop owners. People have been getting to know their local butcher, grocer and coffee-shop owner by name (for the first time), and have enjoyed turning a practical trip to the shops into an impromptu opportunity to socialise. Let’s keep this going. Get to know your local retailers, ask for their advice, get their personal recommendations, or simply chat about the weather. This is the glue of any local community – be a part of it.
[Photo credit, Royce stockist: Joanna, The Bra Boss Kent]
