To say that 2020 has been a turbulent year is an understatement. Everyday life for most of us came to a grinding halt in March, leaving the world struggling. Many were forced to work from home or worse, lose their jobs. Schools closed too, and we had to remain indoors in an attempt to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones and lost their jobs due to lockdowns and enforced closures. Nobody could have foreseen how this year would pan out but it's safe to say we were all taken by surprise. As we enter the final month of 2020, now is the time to look ahead and hope that 2021 will eventually become a more settled year - we have a long way to go but as before, if we all work together we can make it through.
From Barracloughs' point of view, we will be playing catch-up forever more. We closed our doors on 23rd March and re-opened on a limited basis from the end of May to see customers for essential and emergency appointments. During that closure and limited re-opening, all routine appointments fell behind. We have, however, made great progress since, seeing customers in order of when they were due. As always though, if you are experiencing any difficulties or concerns with your vision, please do contact us and we will arrange an appointment or an initial telephone consultation.
Safety measures at Barracloughs
If you've visited us since May, you'll have experienced the new meticulous safety measures we have in place. It's the sort of thing you have now come to expect when visiting any establishment. We now operate a locked door policy with all visits by appointment only - this helps us maintain minimal customers in-store at any one time. We also have full PPE for the teams, scheduled cleaning breaks, UV sterilising units for any frames tried on, reception screens plus a lot more.
Your safety is our highest concern and when visiting us, we want you feel you have been treated with the care and attention you deserve. For over 60 years we have done our very best to put the customer first and provide a personal and individual service. 2020 has made sure that that counts more than ever so please do not put your eyecare to the bottom of your list. Those routine checks are still vital to spot any changes to your vision early on. We're pleased to see so many reviews coming in that explain how safe you all felt when you visited!
We'd like to offer a heartfelt thank you to everybody who has chosen to shop local and supported us by purchasing from us this year. As an independent family-run business, we rely so very much on your loyalty so each and every visit is very much appreciated.
What is yet to come?
Nobody can tell what 2021 will be like, but we all hope for it to at least begin to rebuild on the upset and disruption that 2020 sent our way. We have exciting plans for the year ahead and are staying positive about the future. Your safety comes first at every step of the way so we will continue with these new safety measures for as long as is required.
2021... we're ready for you!
Exciting news is coming next year which will provide you an affordable option to cover all of your eyecare and eyewear needs. Watch this space! We will also be investing in some fantastic new and advanced equipment and bringing in some new eyewear collections. 2020 made this difficult as all optical trade shows were cancelled, so we plan to make up for it as soon as we can. You'll be looking sharp with the latest 2021 styles to choose from!
New team members will be joining the Barracloughs family and we look forward to current team members qualifying further on their optical career path! Finally, as a thank you to our incredible team we will be holding a big summer staff party (assuming it is allowed by then!) as 2020 stopped all our get togethers. This and many more exciting developments will unfold as 2021 progresses. We look forward to having you along for the journey.
With your help and our amazing teams we can see this through. If you have any questions or concerns about your vision, you know where to find us.
