Beaverbrooks has announced a startlingly successful first week of trading since non-essential retailers were allowed to reopen on June 15.
Sales on first day after lock down were 30% higher than the same day a year earlier as customers rushed out to purchase diamonds, jewellery and watches after three months of social distancing.
Beaverbrooks opened 58 stores in England and one in Northern Ireland.
“The first week of trading has been incredibly positive, and we’re feeling cautiously optimistic that consumer confidence is starting to return,” says Anna Blackburn, managing director of Beaverbrooks.
Retail by appointment has surged for Beaverbrooks and, along with a higher share for ecommerce, looks likely to be a lasting change for luxury stores.
Beaverbrooks has taken 331 appointments in the last week, and seen a year on year rise of 1,279% in bookings.
“While we saw strong performance online throughout lockdown, the response from customers this week has demonstrated that there is absolutely still demand for that personal in-store shopping experience, particularly when it comes to sentimental items and considered purchases such as gifts,” Ms Blackburn suggests.
“From the day we closed our stores in March, we started work on plans for reopening that would put safety first while ensuring we were still able to offer our expertise and the high level of personal service our customers expect, so we’re thrilled to have seen customers returning to our stores over the past week with the reassurance that they can shop safely,” she concludes.
