Face-to-face fittings make all the difference at Inverness womenswear shop Rouge Boutiques
TRADE has been good for a popular Inverness womenswear shop since reopening at the end of June.
Owner Tania Kennedy said it was good to have more footfall and added: “We’ve certainly welcomed people coming back. People are confident with the shops that it is safe and okay.”
She said trade was down on what she would usually expect at this time of year – “but we are happy where we are, considering what is happening”.
During the lockdown the business adapted quickly to the situation, setting up an online clearance shop that helped drive an increase in customers from England and Ireland.
They carried out virtual bra fittings and made themselves available for general advice, but nothing beats that face-to-face contact with customers.
Mrs Kennedy said they had now seen an increase in appointments for fittings.
She said: “We’ve seen more of an increase in people coming in and we’ve had quite a few mothers of brides and grooms fittings. It just instils confidence in the measures that the shops are taking and it is not overcrowded.”
Safety for customers and staff at the store is the main priority and the shop has posted full details on Facebook of what customers can expect when visiting.
The measures there include: staff wearing PPE, washable fitting rooms and a maximum number of people in the shop at any one time.
The shop is open from 10am-2pm Monday to Saturday, with appointments for occasion wear and lingerie available from 9am-9.45am and 2pm-3.45pm.
Mrs Kennedy said there had been a good response from customers.
“The customers have been great,” she said.
