Being a small British brand during Covid-19

It has been months since the Covid-19 outbreak first started to impact the UK, and it still dominates news and the way we live our lives. For small businesses like us, it’s been a very unsettling time. Recent figures show that a quarter of small businesses in the UK had stopped trading by the end of April (some temporarily of course), which shows the enormous impact on our country. We would normally be on the road attending different events and country shows, meeting our customers face-to-face and showing them our products in person. We are lucky here at Elevator that we had an ecommerce website in addition to our social media feeds, so people could still buy our comfort bridle and other products during lockdown. But what comes next, as we all wait to hear when competitions might resume and if spectators and trade stands will be allowed this summer? It is a tough time, but we will persevere. Here’s hoping the same friendly faces we’ve grown used to seeing manning the stands for equestrian and country brands all come back when we are!

There are some snippets of positivity to be found. Our customers have continued to support us which is wonderful – we’re more grateful than ever for the people who bang the drum about our product and help us spread the word about Elevator. We have also seen a real growth in people on the hunt for British brands. Of course, we live such global lives now that there are many products that simply aren’t manufactured or grown in the UK, but people are keen to buy local where they can. One positive impact of the pandemic seems to be the rise in people seeking out local food producers and farm shops to buy fresh food from. How wonderful would it be if people keep buying sustainably grown and reared food after this is over? There are people who have taken the long period when shops were shut to wean themselves off fast fashion and only buy quality British-made clothes instead. Here’s hoping that some of the changes might last. 

At Elevator we are proud to be a British company and to support British craftsmen and suppliers through our work. Our products are all designed here in the UK by our Director Jo and hand-crafted from English Sedgwick leather. That means that when you buy from Elevator, you’re not only supporting our employees, but also the tannery where our leather is finished (and their suppliers) and the craftspeople who hand stitch the finished products. You’ll also be supporting our economy, putting money in the pockets of people who will spend it in UK shops and businesses! What’s more, the fact we can trace the provenance of all the materials we use and have a great relationship with the leather workers means you get a product that lasts. So often now people buy cheap options they find online and then find that they simply haven’t lasted the test of time. We know that, when cared for properly, our bridles, reins, girths and headcollars will last for many years to come thanks to the superior leather and attention to detail.