It’s been a while since I last posted on the blog but I think my lack of posts can be justified by what has transpired these last five months. Read on and be enlightened.
Back in 2009 I wrote about the need to support independent shops particularly in these uncertain times. What even I did not foresee was the vigour with which this recession would take hold and affect each and every one of us in habit changing ways. Unfortunately a number of casualties large, small, and teeny tiny ensued and Potassium felt the rapid decline in sales as did many other retailers. This would be the survival of the fittest, and for that read largest with the clout to hammer supplier prices and terms with a rather large mallet. Many of the teeny tiny guys hung on, and with sheer tenacity continued to serve their customers.
Potassium started as an eclectic mix of modern men’s and women’s fashion, home-wares, and furniture. The press liked us even more so for the fact that we sourced ethically and were environmentally conscious right from the start in 2005. Product from Brazil made by women’s co-ops to avoid the downward spiral of prostitution, re-designed everyday objects by British designers to avoid land-fill, a helping hand to new young fashion designers entering the market, these were just some of the things that led to us being labelled a green pioneer. Moreover, we had destroyed the hippy image of anything remotely eco-conscious because the store presented these ethical and eco products in what was described as a “curation of ideas.” The thing was when I presented the Potassium concept to various banks – none of whom supported the concept financially incidentally – or even to business advisors, family and friends the ethical/eco stance was never mentioned. For me this was a given. It was the standard unequivocally. What I had underestimated was that this was part of our USP that was part of our “elements for living.” It was the press that helped me see this.
In 2011 black is now a shade of green. Everyone and everything considers the environmental impact whether through legislation, corporate responsibility or just out-right marketing ploys to make the company and consumer feel better. Better late then never I suppose. I continue in the meantime to stand by the original ethically sourced and wherever possible eco-friendly mantra. This developed in 2009 to sourcing locally made goods with a season of new “Made In Britain” collections to add to our already locally sourced ones. I am pleased that only this week the Arcadia Group has announced a drive to do the same, perhaps Marks & Spencer will follow and revive the ubiquitous St Michael brand?
So what really happened these last five months I hear you ask? In 2010 I had to make a decision about the store location. Our lease was due to expire in November and I remembered that before starting the company I had agreed with myself to give it five years and see what happens. Having learnt that our locality was about to become a building site (again) I decided not to renew the lease and to take the company forward solely on-line. After all that would eradicate rent and spiralling business rates – Potassium’s Business rates had escalated by 93% which let’s not fool ourselves are another form of taxes collected by Her Majesty’s Government. Fate dealt me a blow and on 22nd October at 15:30 our then landlords decided that they would not grant me a six week extension to Christmas and so we went into closing down mode and on 30th October had planned our “Bring and Bye Buy Sale”
Fate decided to strike again. In 2005 when I returned from Toronto unable to move in to my home because of sitting tenants, my sister and her husband allowed me to stay at their home. My brother-in-law, Hanif, had started his own business some years earlier and I witnessed the stresses and strains, joys tears and laughter he endured from running his own company. Hanif’s vision was simple: outstanding customer service could only be delivered from an engaged and happy team. He never actually said that verbatim, but it is what I gleaned from our conversations. He encouraged me to try running my own business and both he and his company Saffron Interactive (www.saffroninteractive.com) helped in those early days. Unexpectedly, Hanif died on 28th October aged 42, leaving my sister who was due to give birth in seven weeks time to twins.
Still in shock, in between funeral arrangements and trying to come to terms with Hanif’s absence, but with the support of many dear friends and fantastically loyal customers the Bring and Bye Buy Sale went ahead. Saturday 30th October 2010 was Potassium’s biggest trading day – thus far.
Strike three but not quite out. 9:30 Sunday 31st October 2010 I received a telephone call to say that my sister had gone in to labour. One lovingly crafted breakfast sausage sandwich later I was en-route to Chertsy and welcomed my two nieces Eve and Sophia at 12:20 that afternoon. Mother and babies were doing well but were confined to ICU as is customary with pre-terms. I’m happy to say that Eve and Sophia are doing fantastically well and regularly hang out with their uncle at work.
The next twenty-two days were spent packing up the store and painting it before handing back the unit to the landlords. Most would have left the shop without repair but as an ethical company I did not believe that would be the just thing to do, Ogre-some landlord or not.
As I moved the stock to a storage site I received a call. Would I like a pop-up shop for two months over the Christmas period? “Happy to consider it” I replied and I met with the agents within 48 hours. Before I knew it I had signed a licence agreement for two months at 29 Store Street off Tottenham Court Road. Vastly different in appearance from the old shop and in a neighbourhood I had left ten years earlier when I had moved to Canada the shop was to mark the start of part 2 in a way I had not foreseen. I got the keys on Friday 3rd December 2010 and again with the help of my fantastic friends and supporters of Potassium the doors opened to our new public on Tuesday 7th December at 11:00
At the end of January our licence expired but our new landlords who appreciate what we bring to the street have asked us to stay for another six months. I am delighted to. I am still cautious, the economy is not quite surging the way policy-makers would like us to believe, but for now part two is looking like it could be even better then part one.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the untenable support of family, friends both near and far, and of course our customers.
Without you all I could not have done it.
K+
In memory of Hanif Sazen. A man who inspired, encouraged, and was always good to share a couple of bottles of wine with.
