A Knaresborough business owner said she has been overwhelmed by the response to a video she posted about how quiet her shop has been this summer.
Laura Dudley, who runs Painting Pots, put up the video of her miming to Celine Dion’s All By Myself on social media last week.
While it showed her singing the lyrics in a light-hearted way, there was a serious message behind it: the shop was extremely quiet.
Laura told the Stray Ferret:
“What has hit us and probably a lot of businesses is that last summer we were spoilt. No-one could go away outside the UK, and Knaresborough is a tourist hot-spot, so we were busy.
“After last summer, we thought we would be busy this year, but everyone has gone on holiday and the sun has been out so families are finding lovely things to do outside.
“It’s such a stark contrast to last summer.”
Laura said her business is always seasonal, with peaks around events including Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day. Yet even taking this into account, it has been so quiet recently that there have been weeks when she has been unable to pay herself a wage.
Read more:
- Knaresborough pub co-founder leaves after two years
- Shop selling handmade crafts opens today in Harrogate
The response to the video, however, has seen trade pick up significantly in just a few days.
As well as people coming into the shop last week, Laura said many others were booking for further ahead, even up to October and November.
It gave her some reassurance after several weeks of only having last-minute bookings. She said:
“I think it was just a case of reminding people. They sometimes think we’re always up to something and we will be busy, but it’s not the case at the moment.
“It was nice to tell people I’m here and we’re headed towards an unknown time.
“I’ve had so many lovely messages, some of them from people that don’t even live nearby. It’s a nice reminder as to why I do what I do.”
As well as support from customers, Laura said she has been given some tips on how to increase footfall over the coming weeks and months.
From speaking to local B&B owners about inviting their visitors to the shop, to increasing her social media posting, Laura said she is now making plans for the rest of the summer and autumn to try to keep the business busy.
Laura’s elf outfit attracted some attention during the heatwave
Along with employee Sian and two part-time shop assistants, Laura said she is not afraid to do something “silly” to get attention – such as dressing in Christmas outfits during a heatwave in order to promote the shop’s festive offers.
She said customers are still able to take advantage of early bird discounts and spread the cost of Christmas presents by shopping early.
With the cost of living crisis set to worsen over the coming months, she has vowed to keep her prices low for as long as possible – and said Knaresborough is a great place to be during difficult times.
She added:
“We’re pulling together as a community and supporting our independent businesses.”