Priya Chowdhury manages three nail bars in Manchester. She tells me about February 2023.
What went wrong with your Valentine preparations?
I ordered 60 bottles of a trending red gel polish from our usual supplier in January. The shade went viral on social media, and we promoted it heavily. Two days before Valentine week, the shipment never arrived. The supplier had run out globally. No alternative source existed.
How did you handle the situation?
Badly at first. We tried mixing other reds, but clients could tell. We offered discounts on different colours, but 34 people cancelled outright. The remaining clients left disappointed reviews mentioning we advertised something we could not deliver. We lost roughly £4,800 that week across all locations.
What changed in your purchasing approach?
I now work with four different suppliers and stock seasonal colours eight weeks early. We never promote specific product names anymore, just colour families. I also keep £600 worth of backup inventory for trending shades. The storage cost is annoying, but cheaper than another Valentine disaster.