Lockdown Diaries Serenity Designs with Attitude

To keep all our businesses fresh in our minds (not just shops) we’ve been asking a few a little bit about their business, how they are getting on during lockdown, & what they are missing about our town.

Here we speak to Chris Eversfield of Serenity Designs with Attitude based in Princess Street

Tell us a little bit about your business?

Serenity Designs with Attitude is a family owned independent lifestyle interiors, gift and art boutique that opened in 2017. Knutsford isn’t our first retail venture. We opened our first store just down the road in in Congleton many years ago and a gallery there too and all that experience and grey hair (!) went to create what you see in Knutsford.

We would describe our shop as an emporium of gorgeousness – we sell glassware to jewellery, leather goods to home fragrances and a great collection of art. It’s a perfect place for distinctive gifts with some much-needed treats too. We are really proud to work with some respected big brands such as Alessi, Ted Baker and LSA as well as carefully selected smaller, artisan producers from across the UK.

What have you been doing to keep your business at the forefront of the community’s mind during lockdown?

We love our customers and keeping in touch with them has been important. In the three years since we opened in Knutsford social media has played an important role for us. At this time, our regular posts now aren’t really about ‘selling’. They are to keep us fresh in people’s minds so we have been doing a series of ‘design inspiration’ posts to give people ideas of what they can maybe do in their homes or gardens or just make them smile. As we miss Knutsford so much, we have been posting about this little town too.

Can you share what you have applied for in terms of grants and funding?

We have applied for the business support grant from Cheshire East which we recently received. At the moment we do not have any plans for funding loans.

Where are you up to with putting plans in place when Knutsford re-opens?

We cannot wait to re-open! To welcome everyone back (at a safe distance) we will start some selective discounts and reductions – both will be heavily promoted both in-store and on social media. Our partners, Attitude Gallery, who have already started doing the same, will continue with special offers on art when lockdown eases. We need to recognise that these times have been extremely tough for many people in lots of different ways so we need to thank them for continuing to support small, independent shops such as ours.

We have developed a new online shop at www.SerenityKnutsford.com where we have been showcasing a selection of Attitude Gallery’s art, for careful delivery locally, and we will expand the site further after lockdown. Many of our customers don’t actually live in Knutsford so being able to buy their favourite luxury candle or a gift they spotted last time they were in via mail order is a new service we’ll excited to launch when the time is right.

What message do you have for other retailers?

Keep strong! We are all impacted by this in different ways and we truly hope most of us will bounce back. However, we are realistic – lockdown has had a major impact on businesses and customers alike. Tough times are ahead, and we all need to support each other. Our customers may have lost someone close to them. Their values, expectations and what matters to them may have changed because of that. Every business needs to be mindful of that – we would say be flexible and evolve your business to life after lockdown which will be the new norm – it also presents great opportunity, we wouldn’t have created our online shop without these unprecedented times.

Lockdown has forced businesses to adapt, be more flexible and offer new services and I would encourage all businesses to continue this creative ‘can-do’ spirit under the new norm as our customer’s will respect and appreciate it.

What do you miss most about not being open?

There is a vibrancy in our store generated from our customers – many of whom have come friends over the years and often just call in to say hello. We miss them! Given the diversity of businesses on top street there is often a fun buzz around us and there is nothing like the friendly ‘good morning’ from fellow business owners and workers or simply people on the way to the office. We say, “Bring back the buzz!”

Lockdown is over where will find the Serenity Design with Attitude team?

Boring but hopefully behind the counter wrapping goodies!