style="font-size:15px;"> Izzy sat up, and folded her arms through her dungaree straps. ‘We need to do everything we can to get more customers in. I’m thinking stand up signs out in the street, pushing the Facebook page, improving the website…and we could also do free coffee.’
‘Great. Free coffee is a brilliant idea. It’ll pull people in, and they’ll buy cake to go with it too.’ Dida’s lips, pursing into a determined red line, gave Luce the idea this was only the start.
‘I’ll need to do more analysis of our figures, for a loan application.’ Dida narrowed her eyes. ‘It would be great to know the seasonal breakdown of turnover for different types of stock too. That way if we survive long-term, we can make sure we’re providing what the customer is searching for. That would work for sales, as well as happy shoppers. How’s your customer service thing going Luce?’
Luce looked up. ‘Well, what about broadening out and offering extras, like deliveries? There’s other stuff we could do too.’
When they’d first moved into the cinema building, they were only the second antique shop on the road, but as more shops selling old stuff opened up, filling the cluster of un-let units on the street, the customers had arrived too.
Luce went on. ‘These days Derwent Street on a Saturday afternoon is swarming with thirty somethings with their designer push chairs, out trawling all the shops. We’re a retro destination, but we need to make sure the hordes come to us.’
Dida took a swig of coffee. ‘What was Ollie’s name for them?’
Luce remembered, with a twist in her stomach, how often Ollie had made her laugh about this.
To her relief Izzy chimed in. ‘He called them DRRABs. Dressed up, Rabidly Running After Bargains, or something like that.’ Izzy gave a grimace. ‘Geeks in tweeds and designer specs, scouring the shops for the perfect piece to complement their retro styled lives. Not that I’m knocking them, their tweedy pounds are phenomenal for business.’
Dida tapped her pen on the table. ‘The point is, the more we offer people, in terms of service, and variety of what we sell, the more likely they are to spend with us rather than the other shops.’ She frowned as she considered. ‘That’s the other news, this morning I spotted another potential vintage store opening in the tanning place.’ She added a huge eye roll. ‘I’ll send an email to the rest of our crew and see if anyone knows any more.’
Luce hesitated, then decided to take the plunge. ‘Talking about quality stock, are you going on a buying trip to France this summer Izzy?’
There was a long silence. Luce knew this was something Izzy usually did with Ollie.
Her friend pulled a face. ‘I hadn’t thought of going on my own…’ She hesitated. ‘But I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime I promise to keep my motor mouth under control with the customers, although the swear box takings might drop.’ She sent Luce a wry grin.
Luce drew in a breath. Pushing the business was going to mean them all pushing themselves out of their comfort zones. It was going to be a challenge, but wasn’t challenge supposed to be good for you?
‘One more thing…’ Dida turned to Luce. ‘I know your clothes and textiles do really well, but it would be brilliant if you moved the bridal side out of your flat, and into the cinema. Wouldn’t the projection room work brilliantly as a Vintage Bridal Studio?’
Luce opened and closed her mouth without any sound coming out. Her bridal sideline had been growing, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for such a big step.
Izzy cut in. ‘That’s a fabulous idea. It would be great for the business, and for you too Luce.’
‘I’m not sure.’ Luce was hesitating, although she didn’t know why. It was a great opportunity, and another step back towards being a real person, and not just a mum. ‘I have some “vintage look” wedding dress designs that are almost ready too, but…’ There were times when she kicked herself for not daring to be more ambitious and confident. So much for moving out of their comfort zones.
‘I know your bedroom is bursting with wedding dresses, you’ve definitely got enough.’ Izzy grinned at her. ‘There’s only one way to beat Aidie, and that’s by being bloody marvellous, and that’s what your vintage bridal line will be Luce. Seize the day, spread your wings, you know you can do it.’
Luce blinked. Maybe she could do it, for the team.
Dida, typing furiously on her iPad, came to the end of what she was writing, and her lips curved into a smile. ‘So you could say we’ve got a plan then.’
‘Too right.’ Izzy sounded jubilant. ‘All we need now is a name.’
Dida’s head jerked up. ‘For the three of us here, fighting to save what we love?’
‘Exactly.’ Luce smiled. ‘We’ve been a team for years, but a title would make us stronger somehow.’
Izzy pushed one paint splattered thumb against her chin. ‘At half past five this morning, when I was stirring my Farrow and Ball Cinder Rose, it hit me that three of us really are a club.’
Luce grinned. Izzy and her paint colours. But it was a fab idea.
Dida’s lips curved into her first smile of the morning. ‘It’s obvious. We’re The Vintage Cinema Club aren’t we?’
‘That’s it.’ Izzy thumped her fist on the table so hard the Susie Cooper tea set rattled.
Luce chimed in. ‘And we’re not going anywhere.’
Dida’s mug was already in the air. ‘Let’s drink to that. Here’s to us, here’s to The Vintage Cinema Club, and here’s to a battle we’re going to win…’
There was a clunk as their mugs clashed, and they all shouted.
‘To The Vintage Cinema Club!’ ‘To saving the cinema!’
Luce only hoped they could.
Subject: RED ALERT
As if we don’t have enough problems, there’s another home shop opening in the spray tan place. If anyone hears/knows/discovers any info please shout IMMEDIATELY. Forewarned is forearmed. As for “the other problem”, Izzy Luce and I, a.k.a. The Vintage Cinema Club are working on “a plan”.
Dida xx
Thursday Morning, 5th June
IZZY & LUCE
Vintage at the Cinema.
Flapjacks and post mortems
‘That’s the outside displays set up, and the geraniums sorted. Oh, and there’s no change in the shop along the
