Interesting Times
Fri Jan 17 2020 23:49:00 GMT+0800 (Malaysia Time)
Greetings from sunny Spain
I'm here with Tomas and Katka (who just left) working on our new venture AW Artisan in Malaga.
It's part of our Brexit ready strategy - to enable our customers to access genuine AW products after Brexit.
It's fun, frustrating, exciting and exhausting is equal measures. But Interesting Times - we are learning a lot.
Last week I was telling you about the SOL - and how it is bigger than Christmas - How to get ready for the SOL - you can read about it here.
Tomas has been working on the new showroom in Spain, and this later we will recreate in the UK.. (which badly needs a revamp).
Meanwhile the customer service team from Spain have been dispatched back with Katka to the UK for the full "thrown in the deep-end" learn on the job type training.
They get "partnered" for a day with different people at AW - make friends (for life!) and soak up as much knowledge, experience and skills as possible. I just hope they don't catch Yorkshire flu :)
So if you need to call or chat to AW over the next few days and find a Spanish person.. please by kind and say Hola! Here they are freshly arrived - wrapped up for British weather :-)
And.. here they are learning fast.
And to be honest - we need all the help we can get.. It's so busy in the UK it's unnatural. Last week I was (sort of) joking that the SOL - Season of Love is bigger than Christmas.. and it is - just spread out over the next few months. Incredibly important to be focused on love and relationship gifts at this time of year.. and we have lots and lots of new stock arriving and arrived (over Christmas).. It's crazy - it really is like Christmas.
Normally we cut down agency staff after Christmas - this year we are taking them on the books and getting more in. I just checked we are this week (so far) 76% up on last year.. The Brexit effect maybe, sales to Europe are booming but UK sales are also up an incredible 43%.
We have some tremendous products - your customers will love them.. only problem as usual we are back up and running behind again (sorry sorry sorry) - weekend shifts are back on, we are doing our best.
Are we ready for Brexit? Does anybody know.. ? We have warehouses already trading in Spain and Slovakia.. but what will happen come 1st February. After Big Ben Bongs (or not) what changes?
We received a memo from UK largest couriers - and the bottom line is - with just days to go - they don't know either.
We live in interesting times..
Take care.. be kind - smile.
Monday is the most depressing day of the year - Blue Monday.. I'll write you then..
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