With lockdown easing, the flexi-furloughing scheme in operation and more of the greeting card community now back to work, PG Buzz checked in Rosie Harrison, founder and creative maestro of Rosie Made A Thing to get her take on how the ‘new normal’ is panning out and what she thinks it ‘tastes’ like.
What is new ‘now’ like for Rosie Made A Thing? “Our online B to C sales are still really high. We were slightly overwhelmed by this during lockdown and so we are trying to get a shipping solution in place to speed things up a bit. I had imagined that B to C sales would slow down as shops opened up but that’s not happened yet!
There’s a real need for work flexibility at the moment. We are all working from home around kids – covering jobs we wouldn’t normally do, maybe working early mornings and late nights to free up time in the day to make the kids a sandwich!”
What positive stuff has come out of this period? “The industry pulling together; it feels like a real joint effort. It has been great to see so many publishers creating reopening posters for shops to download and print, etc.
The introduction of partial furlough to allow more flexibility with bringing staff back to work has also made a positive difference.”
How do you reckon will things pan out? “I think the high street has seen real support for its reopening. A lot of our customers have reported being really busy and I am hoping that this continues over the next few months. Shopping isn’t a quick and easy prospect at the moment, but I think the public have missed it.”
What would you say is the taste of the ‘new normal’? “Hand sanitiser!”
Top: Rosie was quick off the mark to create social distancing signs for retailers.
