Shop Local: ‘Huge impact’ on independent home décor business after second lockdown hits

Hannah Mann, owner of Ballooooo Designs, creates handmade wall art, coasters, trinket dishes and mini planters from resin at her home in Portishead.

Ocean resin wall art by Ballooooo Designs. Picture: Ballooooo Designs (Image: Ballooooo Designs)

Hannah says the business had a bumper launch after opening at Doghead Designs in Clevedon Craft Centre in September. However, lockdown has had a ‘huge impact’ on the company this month, which ‘worries’ the business owner moving forward.

Hannah said: “Lockdown has had a big impact on Doghead Designs. We had a bumper launch month, October was quieter, and it should have picked up in November, then lockdown hit.

Mini planter by Ballooooo Designs. Picture: Balloooooo Designs (Image: Balloooooo Designs)

“It has been a real struggle, I have a lot of stock in the shop which people can’t buy at the moment, which has had a huge impact on the business this month and it’s still worrying moving forward.

“The biggest concern for me is that is 50 per cent of my income at the moment comes from the shop being open, and if Doghead Designs’ owner, Tristen Merriam, can’t open his store again on December 2, I don’t know what that will mean for us.”

Doghead Designs at Clevedon Craft Centre. Picture: Ballooooo Designs (Image: Ballooooo Designs)

To adapt to the shop’s closure, Hannah has sold artwork on her Etsy page to boost sales, and she is currently in the process of rescheduling her creative workshops which were due to launch last weekend.

Hannah added: “Customers have been brilliant in supporting us, to be honest.

"Friends and family have been really supportive and have been buying their birthday and Christmas presents with my business, which has been great.

"As well as this, people have been liking and sharing our posts on social media, which they can do without spending any money.

Doghead Designs at Clevedon Craft Centre. Picture: Ballooooo Designs (Image: Ballooooo Designs)

“Local people have been really got behind shopping local where they can, I think they are quite mindful of it.

"The biggest thing people can do is continue to do so when the shops reopen, as well as support businesses on their websites, as they have done their best to get online if they weren’t before due to the pandemic.”