A HAT store in York is set to reduce its opening hours to save money on essentials due to rising costs in the retail sector.
Simply Devine owner Liz Devine Wright said she was forced to reduce her hours during the winter months.
As gas and electricity prices have soared 54%, the cost of shipping raw materials for its special occasion headwear, which often comes from outside the EU, has increased. astronomically”.
Liz, owner of the Tadcaster Road shop, said: “Although we have been very busy this year with weddings which have been postponed from 2020 and 2021, we are also seeing that our customers – usually mothers or the bride or the married – are increasingly being asked to rent our beautiful hats instead of buying them, due to the uncertainty of the economy and concern over rising costs.
“Obviously they don’t want to compromise on quality because they’ve waited so long for their special occasion. By reducing our opening hours, we are able to keep the cost of our hats and fascinators at the same price, instead of passing on the increased cost to customers. »
The boutique will now be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings only during the winter, although special private appointments will still be available for customers who cannot show up during these times.
Liz added: “We’ve been in business for almost 18 years and costs have never been higher. As a specialist store we have thankfully survived during Covid when many high street shops sank as we don’t have no debt and own our building and stock outright.
“But, if we want to survive another 18 years, we have to make small changes to continue our existence. Now is the time to be able to do this, as the main summer season for weddings and shopping is fading, but as the weather deteriorates, our energy costs are expected to rise again during the fall and winter months. »
Ofgem has confirmed an 80.06% increase in the energy price cap, taking the average household’s annual bill from £1,971 to £3,549 from October.
The cap will come into effect for around 24 million households in England, Scotland and Wales on default energy tariffs on October 1 – and will remain in place until December 31, when it will be adjusted again.
