As most of you know by now, we’re leaving our current shop premises within the next few weeks. This is the start of an exciting new chapter for us, so I want to take this opportunity to fill you in on how things are going to work post move:
Vanilla Nova
Vanilla Nova will be carrying on as normal, but from a new address and with a few welcome upgrades. When we move into Market Street and consolidate the two businesses, we will be turning the back room into a cake consultation space for wedding appointments and cake tastings. This means that you can have your appointment with no interruptions as it will no longer be on the shop floor. I’m also really excited to add a few special extras to the consultations, but we’ll be revealing more about that in time.
Whilst the shop will still be open 5 days a week, Dave and I won’t be there every single day but the shop will be staffed so you can still go in to place orders and make purchases. We will be in to personally host every pre booked appointment and will also be able to schedule in evening and Sunday appointments for those who cannot make it during normal working hours. We will be introducing an online booking system for appointments this spring, meaning you can book your tasting, design and consultation appointments using an automated system and not having to call the shop (great for when you’re in work and can’t get to the phone). Our primary aim is to streamline the booking process and make life easier for busy brides and grooms who can’t be taking a full day off work for a cake tasting. This flexibility also means we can take appointments on the road, so if you’re really stuck and cannot make it to the shop, we can meet arrange an alternative meeting place for your appointment. All in all, this move means we have more free time to give to our clients as we are not chained to one place all day.
All About Cakes:
Although both businesses will be under the same roof, All About Cakes will be carrying on as normal with the same stock, staff, and cosy feel that Kathy has worked so hard to build up over the last couple of years. Many of you have been to the evening masterclasses that I have presented in there over the last few months, and I intend on increasing the frequency of those once we have settled in. I’m keen on keeping these classes accessible to as many people as possible, so whilst there may be a few more expensive feature classes as time goes on, the regular ones will remain £10 per person plus a little discount for any products purchased on the night. There is a strong sugarcraft community in Southport, so I will be introducing a bimonthly cake meet up in the shop. This will be a free event, where we can come together to have a brew and a chat, and troubleshoot any cake decorating issues you may be having. We will also be arranging group transport to the Cake International shows every autumn, and will look at other cake related excursions we can all go on together. Louisa is staying and Kathy will even be covering the odd day, so it’s going to be a fantastic team.
Our goal moving date is the 1st March, and I will be organising a get together evening for anyone who wants to come along and say hello once we’re all in. Don’t forget, if you’re a baking enthusiast or budding home cook yourself, I’m the food columnist for Lancashire Life and write a weekly recipe for Booths, so please check out their Instagram/facebook/websites if you want to get your hands on some yummy recipes. I also have some more exciting news on this front coming up in the next few weeks, but I will keep you posted on that when it comes in!
Finally, on a practical note, we will be getting both phone numbers routed to the same shop, so you can still get us on the same phone number. The email addresses won’t be changing and the social media accounts will stay separate, so you can still get in touch with both businesses the same way as you always have. I can’t describe how excited I am about this move and how much it is going to improve the customer experience in so many ways. We will keep you all updated and can’t wait to share our new home with you all.
Deb
