Carol Bairstow, owner of Pure Inspiration in Ramsey, Isle of Man, opened her gift shop doors last week after seven weeks in lockdown. She told GiftsandHome.net that it’s been a positive experience and that it feels great to be back behind the counter.
What was the first day back like?
“The first day was a bit daunting. I think it was dealing with the unknown, but we have put in all the protective measures and it’s been positive. Everyone was very pleasant and just dying to get into shops, spend some money and mix with people!”
How did you get on with the new health, safety and hygiene regulations?
“Our street was closed to cars – with no parking – to enable people to social distance, and it worked quite well. We limited it to two people at one time in the shop, three at a push, and everyone was accommodating. We have sanitiser at the front door and we are asking people to use it. I think people feel safe if you have those things in place.”
Are you operating normal hours?
“We have limited our hours so we that can close and deep clean ready for the next day. On the whole, it has been very positive.”
Did you manage to trade during lockdown?
“While we were in lockdown we did local deliveries and that worked very well. We sold a lot of clocks – I guess people were clock watching – and doing up houses. Everyone had a paintbrush in their hand!”
What else did you do to encourage business during the lockdown period?
“We used the time productively to decorate the shop and have a move around which worked well. When our customers came in, everything looked new and fresh.”
Top: Carol Bairstow is shown outside her shop on the day she re-opened Pure Inspiration in Ramsey.
