Inverness boutique delighted to see regulars return so quickly
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Staff at Maggie Blyth Boutique in Inverness were able to keep connected with loyal customers by actively using social media during the coronavirus lockdown.
Maggie Blyth Boutique, on the corner of Union Street and Drummond Street, has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
Owner Maggie Blyth said it helped keep customers updated and added: “We engaged quite extensively and we got hundreds of new likes. We also ran competitions and raffles.”
She said local schools had even made the business the subject of a class assignment as part of a fashion topic.
Ms Blyth has been based in Inverness for the past five years, after she moved to the city from Beauly, where she had been for at least 10 years.
As a non-essential shop it had to remain closed throughout the lockdown but instead it was able to launch an online shop during this time.
Ms Blyth said the city shop was able to reopen from the end of June, and added: “The first couple of days actually were quite good and we saw quite an influx of our regular customers.”
Staff had spent the previous week making sure that all the safety measures were in place, ready for the first customers, as well as steam cleaning the premises.
Ms Blyth said: “We were confident we could have three people in if there were two staff, and four if there was only one.”
She said the old town area was quieter than areas such as the High Street and she was trying things such as floral displays to try to entice more customers into the store.
“I think the town centre is very safe for people,” she said. “Individual shops have gone to great lengths and great expense to make their shops safe for customers.”
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