Queensland-headquartered online fashion retailers are utilising flood relief promotions and interstate sales to keep their stores in business.
While coverage of the Queensland flood disaster has included reports on bricks-and-mortar businesses, Kate O'Hara said virtual stores had also been affected. O'Hara is the owner of Brisbane-based online fashion store Beginning Boutique which carries labels such as Dhini, Bracewell, Hussy and Shona Joy.
“Beginning Boutique was strongly impacted by the floods, and with many of our customers being in Queensland, we felt the shock waves that went through the community,” O'Hara said.
The e-tailer recently co-ordinated a 'Flood Relief' sale wherein 100 per cent of proceeds from the sale of donated goods were forwarded to flood victims.
“The floods were definitely a massive impact on an already hard month in retail, but luckily we continued to have strong sales from the rest of Australia, particularly during our flood relief activities,” O'Hara said.
Fellow Queensland-based fashion e-tailer, Mary Evans, said she had continued to operate her Princess Polly online store as normal during the floods.
“Our e-boutique is an amazing machine with customers coming from such varied locations, Brisbane being only one of those,” Evans said.
While her online store carried on trading, Evans closed two of her six bricks-and-mortar sites.
“Zero days happened of course as we simply closed our Brisbane and Toowoomba spaces so we that we could participate with helping others and be safe with our family. All things come good however with beautiful sunshine now bringing girls 'flooding' into the stores,” Evans said.
Princess Polly stocks brands including Cooper Street, Minty Meets Munt, Toi et Moi and Nookie Beach.