It’s not over !
Over the past few months our business has taken some twists and turns, but before we go too far into it, we just want to let you know that WE ARE NOT CLOSING DOWN.
We are two childhood besties who started this business 7 years ago. Claire (Bean) has been involved in the operations and marketing while Ilona, based in London (and also the brainchild of the business) has handled the creative.
Starting and running a clothing brand in South Africa and manufacturing locally is not for the faint hearted and as with every business, comes with a whole host of challenges and we have contemplated throwing in the towel a number of times. Alas, we have somehow managed to keep the business afloat (albeit barely) whilst both running full time day jobs AND still remaining the bestest of friends! Cheers to that!
As much as we have built a reputable brand and our customers have come to love and trust Lonzi&Bean, we have struggled to get to work. Despite keeping our overheads to an absolute minimum, the cost to run the business in its current form is not viable. We know that this is not unique to our business but there had to come a time where we had to make some big decisions.
When we started the business, we acquired an investor but had made little headway with paying back the initial loan and at financial year end this year, we made the decision to sell off all of our stock to clear as much of our debt as possible and subsequently close the business.
It appears it’s not that easy to simply throw away a brand that has become known and loved by so many moms over the years. It just doesn’t seem right! So….now that we have made progress with paying our loan debts, ilona has graciously agreed for Claire to continue the brand that we have poured our hearts and souls into. With Ilona based in the UK it doesn’t make sense for her to continue so she has decided to withdraw as a partner…..although she will always be the ‘Lonzi’ in Lonzi&Bean.
Where to from here….
After running this business for 7 years, we have paid our ‘school fees’ and have a pretty good idea now of what works and what doesn’t. Claire will therefore be making some changes by simplifying some operations and production lines. This will mean that certain lines will be discontinued and we will be focussing on our best sellers.
The Clearance Sale will be running until 31 May (this time for real…no extensions) so grab a bargain while you can. Thereafter some items will only be available via Takealot and other prices on www.lonziandbean.co.za will go back to normal.
Some beautiful new dresses are already on the production line so keep an eye on your inbox and social media.
From the bottom of our hearts, to each and every customer who has bought a garment, taken the time to tell us how much you love your things or simply shared the Lonzi&Bean love with your fellow preggy friends, THANK YOU!
Love Lonzi and Bean xxx
