2020 meant “keep on keeping on” for a lot of people that I know. Spare rooms became studies and Sunday brunch became going on yet another walk. But it was hard to keep calm and carry on for those whose small business and seven people’s pay checks were [and are] in the balance.
I went from serving countless women a day, telling them that it’s hard to buy a bra online, to emailing those same women and asking them to shop via our website. The in-store experience that The Pantry is known for became a distant memory and I was unable to do the things that I was hired for.
When we found out that our doors were closing, my first thought was “f*ck. I’m going to lose my job.” I knew that the business and my job security were clinging to life by the strength of my knicker elastic, so I had to make myself indispensable. This meant blowing the dust off my advertising degree and getting to work. My new responsibilities ended up including researching potential brand partners, learning about website optimisation, taking my kit off for the ‘gram, doing my best to overhaul the communication of our fit expertise online and of course packing up parcels for postage.
I had to leave London unexpectedly in the Summer, making me fearful for my job for the second time in six months. I was once again unable to do many of the things my already modified job required of me and had to adapt to survive, taking a long hard look at what my strengths were and how they could benefit the business. I’ve always been interested in writing, so came up with the idea of a regularly updated hub of creative content and information, with added Pantry puns. Sat at my kitchen table in my PJs, I’m writing this a week before I release my first three pieces for the Pant Post, starting a new stage of my job and finding out what a ‘retail’ job means for me and probably many more in 2021.
Shifting my focus from in-store to online has not only kept me busy [and sane] this year, but it’s been a necessary adjustment to help keep my job relevant for the post-COVID retail world. I don’t know when stores will open again and I don’t have the luxury to just keep on swimming; I have to change the way I sell, in order to accommodate the new way you shop.
Thank you for reading!
Ruby, Bra Fitter & now Editor of the Pant Post x
