Chichester independent shop may be forced to close

Rachel Green opened Smitten, on North Street in 2019 but had to close soon after due to the Covid-19 pandemic losing £100,000 in sales.

Rachel, who is a bra fitter and managing director at Smitten, said: “We were delighted and amazed that three years down the line, we had overcome the major obstacles that had caused so many other independent businesses to close their doors.

“We had made major changes, become as flexible as it was possible to become and through the love and support of our fantastic customers, we kept on going. Whilst we remained open, the pandemic had placed us in a very delicate financial position. We had to take on massive amounts of debt and this is still very much affecting our business structure today.”

Since reopening Smitten, which offers bra fittings alongside swimwear and lingerie, has been impacted by supply chain issues due to the war in the Ukraine, fuel crisis, a lack of long haul drivers, train strikes, Royal Mail strikes, the energy crisis impacting the shop’s bills, and the cost of living crisis.

She said: “This time around, Smitten is at real risk of not being able to continue to trade on the high street even after taking all available measures to try and protect the business as much as possible.

"Smitten is not just a retail shop, we are a service for women that promotes health and well-being. We know from feedback from customers that it is a service that just isn’t found anywhere else and we are passionate about staying on the high street so that we can continue that much needed service for all that want and need it.

“We realise that we can’t do this without the support of our local community and loyal customers and we are so thankful for all of the kind words of support so far. We need you now, more than ever."

Rachel is asking people to use the store, share its social media posts, invest in the business, rent space in the shop or you can donate to the ‘Save Our Smitten Shop’ crowdfunding campaign – /www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/andrew-green-822

Chichester shop to close after 32 years in the city