The past few years have been an incredibly difficult time for small businesses across the UK and it was no different for Bristol Saint. Navigating covid lockdowns and the new customs fees/protocols which came in for European customers buying from UK businesses, was nothing short of a nightmare scenario.

During the heyday of selling on ASOS Marketplace (2016-2020), 50% of my customers were based in the EU. After the new rules came in, they dropped off a cliff over night. Even if I was lucky enough to have an order from Europe, the parcels would sit in customs for weeks with no updates. It was a nightmare for both businesses and customers; it was happening across the board and no one really knew why or how to fix it.

Frankly, it was easier to cease trading with EU, than to manage the stress of the situation. It broke my heart to lose my loyal European customers, I had gained over the past decade. I guess you have to make tough choices in business, sometimes.

So by March 2023, ASOS Marketplace was losing steam, I no longer had a stockist and I was tired of the constant hustle. After 11 years, it seemed like everything was pointing to the end of Bristol Saint and so I decided to accept it and start winding down the business.

I set up a Vinted account and started listing the bags and bags of vintage stock at the cheapest price points I could stomach, I just wanted this stuff out of my life! You see, vintage sellers don’t always show the carnage behind the scenes. Unless you are able to afford a studio space, your home becomes the studio; rails of clothing around the house, those industrial size bags of repairs that you never get round to fixing, just waiting to be tripped over, clothes soaking in the bath, garments hanging up on doorways and the steamer constantly set up.

But then… Vinted wasn’t tumbleweed blowing in the wind as I had become used to, suddenly my stock was selling and people were engaging with it.

Hmm, what was my plan now?!