Norwich market’s youngest trader has shared her optimism for her business’s future after seeing a successful take up of online orders.
Rosie Dearlove was 18 when she opened Slayyy Vintage on the market last year, and is among scores of businesses changing they way they work during the coronavirus pandemic.
With the launch of her website, the entrepreneur is able to continue selling 90s sportswear and reworked vintage clothes.
The 19-year-old shut her stall on April 4, days before prime minister Boris Johnson announced lockdown measures which shut all non-essential businesses.
Describing the last day, she said: “It was a dreadful day people were not shopping for clothes they were thinking about essentials. We pulled the shutters shut properly, everyone was putting pad locks on their doors thinking they might get broken into.”
Read more: Rosie’s eye for vintage clothing makes her Norwich’s market’s youngest trader at 18The closure of the stall has allowed the business owner to bring forward plans to launch her own website, a vision she did not see happening for two years.
Miss Dearlove said: “It was kind of a blessing in disguise in a bit of a weird way.
“We are getting online orders which are going good. I miss the human interaction, I miss chatting to the customers and saying hello to all the stalls owners in the market. Lots of people in the market have adapted.
The first week was a bit stressful, you are think “what are we going to do?” everyone was panicking it was all so up in the air.
“In business it is all about adapting to situations and going for it.”
Read more: Cafes that closed under lockdown are starting to reopenFor now she will continue to operate from home, which has introduced new challenges with online orders arriving at all hours of the day and the extra steps to ensure customers receive their package.
Miss Dearlove added: “Everything takes 10 more steps that the stall.
“It’s all being delivered to the house, it is definitely invading the house.
“That’s the weird thing working from home, I feel everyone can relate to the fact its all the time, when I am down on the stall I am shut a couple of days, now its turned into 12 hours working online. I am happy to be busy I would rather be happy and busy than bored.”
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