Fareham bridal dress shop Margaux Mae Bridal holds closing down sale as it battles closure threat from cost of living crisis

After being placed on furlough and then made redundant from her legal PA role in 2020, Andrea Dargon decided to follow her dream of opening a bridal boutique, with Margaux Mae Bridal in West Street, Fareham, opening in August 2021.

But as wedding dress wholesale prices have almost doubled due to the cost of living crisis, Andrea has faced plummeting sales and the prospect of closing down her dream.

The mum-of-one had announced her decision to hold a closing down sale and then shut in November.

But the news has prompted a huge surge in purchases, as brides-to-be turn into bargain hunters so they can have their ideal dress without breaking the bank.

Andrea said: ‘If it carries on this way I might just pivot my business to affordable dresses. I’m going to see how we go in the next couple of months. There is a slight glimmer of hope.’

The mum-of-one, who also runs wedding confectionery business Margaux Mae Cakes, has taken on Amazon delivery shifts to make it through lean months – and borrowed money from her mother to keep petrol in her car.

She added: ‘There’s been times at the end of month I have been looking at where the nearest food bank is.

‘I have a couple of businesses – I should be thriving, not just about surviving. It’s as simple as that.

‘I know a couple of other bridal shop owners in Fareham, and they are all having to pivot and work out a second income and get second jobs.’

Now Andrea is calling for more government support that goes beyond tackling energy prices, as the 39-year-old – like many other business owners – has a longstanding and affordable fixed-rate contract.

The business owner hopes that the government will look at cutting VAT rates to help small business.

She said: ‘We are hard hit by VAT.’