nursery matters JOHN BARKER
Barking Mad Pramland’s John Barker takes a view on the positives during lockdown and the road ahead for nursery independents.
W
ell that was a manic 12 weeks! Who would have thought all those months ago we’d be forced to close our stores for such a long period of time – not me for certain! I’m completely and utterly exhausted. My last back to back day off was at the beginning of March and my head is a complete shed. On the plus side for some odd reason the shop has felt busier whilst we’ve been closed
Image source pexels.com
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nursery today
than when we are open. It’s strange, the telephone doesn’t stop ringing and instant messages fill the inbox quicker than a panic buyer filling their trolley with loo roll! Everyone’s life got turned upside down, the football got cancelled, we have no summer holidays to look forward to and half your friends and family are sat at home on 80% pay moaning about being bored. When Penny messaged me to say we
months I When I reflect on the past three ts and have nothing but negative though I prefer to opini ons and th at’s not like me.s ha en to be more po sitive, good thing ingpp those th at think good th s. are good to go on the next issue my first thought was let’s look back over the lockdown. I even started to write my article as a reflective piece on the highs and lows. I then deleted the whole thing and decided to re-write it not as a look back but as a look forward. When I reflect on the past three months I have nothing but negative thoughts and opinions and that’s not like me. I prefer to be more positive, good things happen to those that think good things. What’s done is done and as long as we all gain something from the experience then we can all grow as people and businesses (I’m hoping to gain a day off). So lets have a look at what the future holds for a post Covid-19 Lockdown nursery industry and what positives can we get from the attempted man slaughter of retailing on the high street. I’m writing this article the week before the government are due to lift the forced closure of “none essential retail” on Monday 15th June. By the time this article is committed to ink we’ll all be open and no doubt operating under an appointment only basis in order to meet social distancing regulations. Without a doubt the entire
lockdown situation has highlighted the need for social media. A good, constant presence on whichever social media network you choose will have an immense effect on your business. Social media over the years has been singled out for some of the worlds low points but without a doubt it has been a real hero for me. Regular, good quality posts which are informative and entertaining are amazingly effective tools in engaging with potential and existing customers (please note I’m not claiming my posts have been good quality, informative or entertaining – anyone that’s watched them will agree). I had every intention of making the move on to you YouTube this year but this has just accelerated my intentions. Rock N Stroll with the Heavy Metal Pram Man is my attempt to stand out from other online product reviewers and demonstrators. Isn’t it odd how much people love watching other people open boxes? Customers like the convenience of sitting on a sofa or watching a video on the bus to work. A well made and produced video will both create an interest in a product and raise awareness of your store. We completed the 12 weeks on lockdown 22% up on last year and we don’t sell
john@pramland.co.uk