Hello everyone,
Well, Iām pleased to say that after a rather quiet start, this week just got better and better!
The wet weather at the beginning of the week probably didnāt help footfall, but every cloud and all thatā¦ those two quieter days gave me the perfect opportunity to tackle the SIX boxes I told you about last week!
But first, there was another little victoryā¦
Three sale rails became TWO!
Yes! Before I started unpacking anything, I managed to condense all of the remaining half-price Summer clothing from three rails down to just two.
It is SO satisfying watching those rails gradually disappear.
Iāve also reorganised all the sale footwear again, which has freed up space for our Autumn shoes and ankle boots, and the new handbags have arrived too. They look fabulous and work really well alongside the colours in our new clothing collections.
Then it was time to open those six boxesā¦
And they did not disappoint!
Autumn has well and truly arrived š
There are gorgeous FOIL dresses and tops, wonderfully soft pull-on trousers, plus a lovely selection of Orientique dresses and tops, so I feel we have a really good mix of styles to suit different tastes.
And just look at this fabulous FOIL check coat!
It comes in this gorgeous toffee colour or a beautiful dark cherry.
But this is one of those times when I really do have to say if you love it, donāt hang around ā I have just two in each colour.
And thereās more to come because Adini is on its way too!
It has been lovely getting all the newness out onto the shop floor and then giving the windows a fresh Autumn makeover.
I have deliberately left one window displaying the sale footwear for now because it has been so successful at bringing people through the door. If itās working, Iām not going to change it!
And the new stock is SELLING!
This has probably been the most encouraging part of my week.
The new arrivals have certainly caused a stir and pieces started selling almost as soon as I put them out.
As a retailer, there is always that moment when you unpack something you chose months ago and think, āI hope everyone else loves this as much as I did!ā
So it is a huge relief when you do.
Already this week Iāve sold two of one dress and three of the same jacket, amongst lots of other pieces.
As you know, Iāve slightly changed the way Iām buying for Karen George.
Rather than buying large quantities of stock all at once, my plan is to buy less but introduce fresh pieces more frequently.
Hopefully that means there will regularly be something new for you to discover when you visit, and it keeps the shop feeling fresh and interesting too.
The flip side is that I wonāt have lots of every size.
If something sells particularly quickly and I can get hold of more, I absolutely will ā but sometimes, once itās gone, it really will be gone.
So if something catches your eye, it may be worth trying it sooner rather than later!
And the really encouraging thing is that while all this new stock is heading out through the front door, the sale rails are continuing to thin out alongside it.
It finally feels as though my big clear-out and reset is coming together.
The most patient shopper of the weekā¦ š¾
I met a lovely couple who were spending a few days in Emsworth and staying at The Ropemaker with their dog.
He was a beautiful black Labrador and possibly the most patient member of the shopping party!
He sat there impeccably while his owner tried on two pairs of loafers.
Fortunately, she loved them.
Unfortunately, she couldnāt decide which pair she preferredā¦
So she bought both!
I thought that was an excellent solution. š
The Labrador seemed perfectly happy with the decision too ā although I suspect he was mainly wondering when his walk was going to resume!
A little Sunday exploringā¦
Iām already itching to get away in Vinny again because I absolutely love travelling around in him, but last Sunday we settled for a day out instead.
We headed over the South Downs and explored some places we hadnāt visited before.
Goodness, there are some beautiful houses tucked away out there!
We eventually stopped for a drink at The Half Moon in Kirdford, which is owned by Jodie Kidd.
It has a lovely spacious garden and, thankfully, it was still warm enough for us to sit outside. It was certainly busy with Sunday lunchers, so clearly we werenāt the only ones who thought it was a good place to stop!
And then it was home again, ready for another week.
Looking aheadā¦
For the first time in a while, I feel as though Iām heading into a new season with a really positive feeling.
The old stock is steadily disappearing.
The new stock is arriving.
And, most importantly, youāre buying it!
That means such a lot because it reassures me that the changes Iāve been making and the choices Iāve made for Autumn/Winter are heading in the right direction.
Thereās plenty more still to come, including Adini, and Iām really looking forward to seeing what next week brings.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support ā whether you pop in to buy something, tell a friend about us, react to a post, read my Sunday ramblings or simply stop by for a chat. It all helps keep this little independent boutique moving forward.
Until next weekā¦
Take care of each other and, above all, be kind.
Karen xx
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