Hundreds of independent fashion retailers around the UK have closed their doors this week to help minimise the spread of the coronavirus. The move follows the government’s decision to force restaurants, pubs, cinemas and gyms to close last Friday evening.
Among those operating online only include The Dressing Room in St Albans, which shut down its bricks-and-mortar operation on Saturday. In a statement on Instagram, owner Deryane Tadd said: “Today I have made the incredibly difficult decision that the store will now be closed until further notice. I’m confident that with your continued support we will re-open stronger and better than ever. We may be closing our shop doors temporarily, but we are still open online which will be running as usual.”
Derbyshire womenswear group Young Ideas has also closed its three physical stores in Ashbourne, Lichfield and Derby city centre. In a statement on social media posted on Sunday, owner Anne Wright said: “As I’m sure we’re all experiencing, events seem to be overtaking us. We were hoping to remain open a little longer, but as we take heed of government advice and can see how the situation is unfolding, we are very sad to take the decision to close our stores with immediate effect. We will look forward to better times and to giving you a very warm welcome back to our shops when the time is right.”
D.A.Y boutique in Peckham, meanwhile, was one of the first indies to close its physical store on Wednesday so its team could “work on the business at home.” Customers are still able to shop via its website and Trouva shop while the team is also processing pre-orders and vouchers. Shoppers living locally can also opt for deliveries. Its statement says: “We are happy to reserve, organise pick up and deliver in the local area in the safest way we can. We hope by doing this we will be back sooner rather than later.”
Photo by Benedikt Geyer on Unsplash