October 2020 – Update – Coronavirus & Jack Bunneys
Hello All,
2020 has been one hell of a year for everyone and if you were planning to be married in 2020, it has been an absolute nightmare!
I have every sympathy for you all and so much gratitude to our wonderful clients who have been full of kindness and cooperation, as we have all tried to fumble through this year as best we can.
I just wanted to update you as to where we are with our business, our services and how this may effect your order (be that current clients or new clients).
The Business:
2020 has been a terrible year for everyone in the wedding industry. It has also been an atrocious year for Jack Bunneys, however we are very fortunate and we have weathered the storm relatively unscathed. We own the freehold of our premises, we own a substantial amount of stock and all our staff are family members. This has allowed us to ‘batten-down-the-hatches’ and see this difficult period through. We are also fortunate to have other revenue streams, such as corporate wear and our online shop. The next six months will be incredibly difficult for us personally, as the Covid restrictions tighten in regions across the UK and weddings do not go ahead as planned, however the business is financially strong enough to see us through to the 2021 wedding season with relative ease. You can have every confidence that Jack Bunneys will be extending its 60 year history for a few more decades yet.
Wedding Suit Hire 2020 & 2021:
The vast majority of our 2020 wedding suit hires have been rescheduled to 2021 and beyond. This does mean we have quite a few dates in 2021 which are exceptionally busy. In a usual year we do have dates which become ‘fully booked’ for our hire services, as this is our most popular service. However I am guessing there will be not quite as much demand for new orders in 2021, with any luck these two things will balance each other out (rescheduled 2020 weddings & new 2021 clients) and we will have the usual amount of availability. I would suggest booking early anyway, just in case we do see an increase in demand in the spring (if restrictions lift).
We are very lucky here at Jack Bunneys, we design and manufacturer our own products. This means that we have a huge amount of stock on the premises at all times and can manufacture more if necessary. We own our own stock and nothing is outsourced. Our manufacturing is completed in Germany and fortunately these factories have not closed and are running at their usual capacity.
Each suit is cleaned both on return and before collection. Every item is sanitised before you collect your suit to ensure the upmost hygiene in our hire department at all times.
Rescheduling or cancelling your wedding hire order: We are more than happy to work with our clients to find the best possible solution to rescheduling or cancelling your wedding suit hire order. It is some what of a logistical nightmare for us, trying to schedule and reschedule hundreds of wedding suit hires, however we will try our very best to come to a solution that is agreeable for all parties.
Precautions and Regulations:
We have taken a number of precautions in our shop since re-opening in June. All staff have been wearing masks since we re-opened in June. All staff are reminded to regularly sanitise their hands. In the shop we have three hand sanitiser stations which all customers are encouraged to use when entering and leaving our shop (and at any time in between). We have also redesigned our appointment system to ensure that social distancing can take place in the shop at all times. Our changing rooms are sanitised after each use. Only two of our four changing rooms can be used at any one time (to ensure social distancing), whilst the other two are sanitised and prepared for the next use. This system allows us to keep two of our four changing rooms open at all times, whilst the proper care and attention for the hygienic cleaning is carried out.
In our shop we have a strict face mask rule. As our shop is by appointments-only to enter, this is a fairly simple rule to enforce. However we can supply a face mask if you have forgotten to bring your own.
We have also changed our policy in regards to trying on shirts and shoes. Since our return in June we have requested that every customer wears a shirt suitable for trying on a suit and also bring along a pair of shoes. We believe this is the most hygienic solution in the current circumstances.
Every garment which is tried-on whilst in store is put aside and cleaned before being returned to the shelves to try-on again. This ensure maximum hygiene at all times.
Retail (Made-to-Order, Made-to-Measure and Bespoke):
Our retail services have now returned to normal. Our usual lead-times of 12 weeks to complete a custom-made suit still apply. We have been very lucky with our retail services and apart from the initial interruption (Between March and June) our services have been unchanged. It is worth noting, in the current circumstances, that these custom-made suit options are not subject to the usual consumer rights that you would find with a regular retail product, as they are custom-made for each customer the final balance of these items is due on completion. If you are placing an order for a wedding suit (to be made), it is worth remembering that if your wedding is delayed due to Covid the final payment will still be due when the suit is complete. Unlike our hire department, which is subject to your usual consumer rights, we cannot simply reschedule your custom-made suit order. We are more than happy (of course) to discuss any particular and unusual circumstances, please telephone if you have any concerns at all.
I hope this helps answer some of your questions, concerns or queries. I am sure each client has particular worries at this difficult time, please always telephone or email to discuss any concerns or worries. We are more than happy to have an honest conversation about our business and work together with our brilliant clients!
Thank you so much to all of our amazing customers, 2020 has been rough, but you guys have seen us through and we are eternally grateful. Thank You.
I look forward to hearing from you all soon.
Marc