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Fun and Frivolity continues as Darlington bottle shop adapts to Covid-19 pandemic

A Darlington wine merchant has introduced several new measures to ensure business continues despite the ongoing Coronavirus lockdown.

Frivolity Bottle Shop, which is located in Cockerton, has launched a delivery service to cater to customers remaining at home through the pandemic, as well as expanding its team to fulfil demand.

A new website is also on the cards as owner David Tindale adapts to a growing customer base and new way of sharing his wines, beers and spirits.

With wholesale trade to bars and restaurants and twice-monthly shop events forced on hold, David was determined to not let the lockdown affect his business and took the steps to allow Frivolity to remain as close to ‘business as usual’ as possible.

He said: “Lockdown presented the business with many challenges and I was faced with two options – let this be the end of Frivolity or adapt to take orders remotely and continue to serve my customers.

“I managed to build a simple website a week prior to lockdown which I then promoted through social media and my customer database. Within days, orders were coming in and I was managing the business around looking after my daughter at home.”

Fast forward 14 weeks and deliveries are continuing to thrive. Now, David has enlisted the help of local web development company Webahead Internet Ltd to accommodate the ever-growing orders.

The new website will allow David to expand his reach beyond his native Cockerton, by extending delivery of Frivolity’s extensive range of products further afield in Teesside and County Durham, as well as offering nationwide next day delivery and gift options.

He said: “The site I built is fine, but it has its limitations and I always knew it would need an upgrade if things really took off. As we’re getting busier, I’ve asked the professionals to come in!”

Frivolity opened in Cockerton in July 2019, after David made the leap to move from market stalls and street food markets to his own premises. Now, he’s looking forward to first birthday celebrations.

“It’s been a strange year – certainly one I’ll never forget – but I couldn’t be happier with how far Frivolity has come,” said David. “We have some fantastic customers who really share our passion for wine, and I’m so grateful for all of their support during this time.

“I’ve recently brought on a new member of staff to support operations and enable the shop to re-open as soon as possible. Ultimately, I’d like to employ a team of people, each bringing the depth of expertise we offer customers to help them find their perfect tipple.

“For now though, I’m happy we’ve made it through this challenging time, and look forward to showing customers the new website and welcoming them back to the shop very soon.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harvey & Hugo .