Aberdeenshire lingerie business Bellewren is proving to be the right fit following its move to a new location.
Melanie Walbrin made the decision to relocate her business from Oldmeldrum to Westhill last year.
Since then it has continued to grow with Melanie recently opening her second fitting room within Elevator Business Centre in Arnhall Road.
It has seen appointment waiting time for customers drop from three months to two weeks.
She has also taken on a new member of staff to help with demand.
Appointment only business hires new bra fitter to cope with demand
Melanie, who started the business in 2017, said: “It’s been so busy. The best thing was moving from Oldmeldrum to Westhill as it’s such a good location.
“We’ve got two rooms now which is a good indication of how the business is going.
“We were on a three month waiting list at one point which was crazy so we needed to get that down.
“By having three bra fitters and two fitting rooms and doing six days a week it’s fantastic.
“We’ve just about cracked it and it’s a two week wait now which I don’t think is to bad.
“In terms of business that’s a good safety net for me. I wouldn’t want to go in to a week with lots of spaces not filled.”
Brexit effect
Melanie is well aware of the tough situation facing many families across the north and north-east with the cost of living crisis – but has faced more problems due to Brexit.
She said: “The cost of everything from packaging to the stock that we buy has increased.
“We can’t absorb the full cost increase so we try to find a middle ground.
“Brexit changed a lot for us. At least 75% of our brands are European and at one point it was costing us more to get things in from Europe than it was getting them sent from America.
“There is no denying that everything has gone up.”
Possible Bellewren shop
Melanie hasn’t ruled out the possibility of opening a shop in the future.
She said: “At the moment I can’t just have women turn up and do a walk-in as we are in the business centre.
“I’ve been so lucky and successful it could be we stay within the same area and look for a shop.
“At the moment everything is going well and it’s exciting. We’ll see how we get on with two rooms and take it from there.”