Upscale boutiques had a choice: pivot or perhaps perish. Some find the former and survived
It isn't the strongest or perhaps the most intelligent who'll survive but those that can best manage change, said the most well-known naturist Charles Darwin back in the 19th century.
And Sultana Nasreen Shumi, who owns upscale boutique Azaaraz, has unconsciously been following a adage within the last four months.
When news first arrived of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China's Wuhan from a wet industry -- where live animals can be purchased, slaughtered and skinned, in squalid state -- in January, she did not pay much attention.
Then your following month, when the rogue virus commenced to tear through parts of Europe and Asia, her husband informed her that the pathogen's arrival to Bangladesh was inevitable.
Before she could take any preparations, she was met with a flight-or-flight situation, as the initially confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bangladesh was announced on 8 March.
About a fortnight later, the united states went on an over-all shutdown, leaving her without option but to shutter her shop and factory for the time being.
As the shutdown, which was initially said to be for ten days, kept on getting expanded, she became restive.
Does she always keep her business on pause, which would finally continue endanger the mere survival of her fledgling organization? Or does do something out-of-the-box to greatly help her give the earnings of her 12 personnel and rent of the space?
She chose to fight and opted for the latter option.
Her atelier and her showroom were housed found in the same residential setting up found in Gulshan and the construction authority walled off the house to non-residents.
Besides, a big part of the workers reside in Mohammadpur, another area of the town, and asking them to commute such a long distance each day and brave the likelihood of coronavirus contagion did not sit right with her conscience.
So, she rented an area in Mohammadpur and shifted her atelier there, and in one fell swoop, she could solve the issue of lives and livelihood that has been consuming businesses and governments alike.
And she pivoted from her business from one rooted in bricks and mortar to 1 online. She opened up a Facebook page for her boutique, where she set up her creations, whose ticket prices start at Tk 5,000 and rise to Tk 30,000, through to display and also took custom orders.
"I never thought that persons would respond so much in this hard time. Using what I have been in a position to earn, I have already been able to spend the salaries due circumstances," Shumi advised The Daily Star yesterday.
The 30-something woman entrepreneur has recovered about 60 per cent of her sales and is currently upbeat about steering her business in this 'new normal' situation.
The boutique has since opened its doors to customers but only an appointment-basis, simply in time to sign in Eid sales.
"The business is just a little better this Eid," she added.
Sarah Karim Couture, another upscale boutique in Gulshan, includes a similar account of triumph -- because of the digital platform.
The brand now only sells items through digital platforms.
"We have never emphasised on the web before. I'd only put up photos of the photoshoot on Facebook before. However now, pictures of every dress will be uploaded on Facebook," explained Sarah Karim, the dog owner and creator of the upscale boutique.
Like Shumi, she too has had the opportunity to covers the salaries and rent and in addition turn in a little profit.
"I am pleased with the revenue given the bad situations we are in."
To tide her through these challenging circumstances, she actually is conceding her profit margins: she has trimmed down her price tag and scale back on the creation of heavy and high-priced dresses.
Among the silver linings of the pandemic, Karim says, is that it features made the well-heeled shoppers go local.
"Those who used to go to Kolkata for shopping cannot go there now. They are now arriving at us and asking us to create clothes for them. Subsequently, the clientele base is normally broadening," she added.
However, not every clothing organization is really as lucky as Azaaraz and Sarah Karim Couture.
The Daily Star talked to many upscale boutiques and several of these said their sales have nosedived because the pandemic began.
"Business is quite bad. Our customers are often from the upper class and they are certainly not at all thinking about leaving their homes," explained a high official of Libasse Manner Creations requesting to end up being anonymous.
During Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest selling time, the boutique, situated in Gulshan, had opened up its doors to customers. Nonetheless it did certainly not send the money registers ringing.
"Although I did so not lay off some of our workers, we stored 5 of our 18 employees found in the shop to greatly help customers. But buyers did not arrive to goals," she added.
The brand went online but found almost no response.
"We have even called up our clientele by phone. But they are just certainly not in the mood to splurge," she added.
