For nearly two decades now, Country Brides have been a stalwart member of the Faversham business community. The specialist and designer bridalwear shop offers the complete service to brides and bridal parties, and has remained one of Kent’s go to retailers for wedding and bridesmaids’ dresses, while their competitors are continually closing their doors due to the competitive nature of the market.
Country Brides’ Owner Sylvia Jane Lawrence has led the business throughout its growth over the last decade. She discussed why she felt her business had remained so resilient: “We have a number of USPs and strive to always offer the best possible service and usually ‘go the extra mile’ for our brides. We offer a down-to-earth, friendly service, which is appreciated by our customers.”
All businesses need good employees to make their business shine, and fortunately for Sylvia, recruiting staff is an area where she has never struggled. She explained: “We get people ringing us up all the time as they want to work in a bridal shop. Our assistant manager has been with us for nearly six years and we have had three apprentices working for us who have all passed their courses with ease and have learnt a great deal of life and work skills during their time with us. One of these still works with us and has been with us for three years. One has now moved on to a full-time position in a larger retail group. The other is now at University. We are now recruiting for a new apprentice who we can help to learn new skills and get experience in the working environment. The bridal industry is very difficult to work in as as you have to spend a great deal of time with each customer and they put a lot of trust in you to make their dream become a reality. We endeavour to teach our team members how to handle every different situation, which gives them life skills that will help them develop personally as well as professionally.”
Finally Sylvia discussed why she felt that Country Brides should be recognised at the 2017 Swale Business Awards: “We believe that we deserve to win an award as we are a small, family run business with caring managers and we give excellent customer service to everyone regardless of their budget or background. We have continued to thrive and grow in an extremely volatile market. We have shown that we are amongst the best in the industry by winning the award for the Best Bridal Retailer in Kent at the Kent Wedding Awards in November.”
Country Brides of Faversham
The Manor House
10a Market Place
Faversham
Kent
ME13 7AG
01795 539 222
www.countrybrides.uk.com