With the UK wedding industry worth £10b a year and the UK Asian wedding industry within that estimated to be half of that figure, Asian weddings are big business in the UK. They are also hugely important to Asian families and communities and with that ‘wedding shopping’ is a big deal, and usually, also a grand family affair.
Ami Rabheru of The Retail Business Hub told Asian Voice that with the roadmap to weddings announced, couples are wanting to get going with their plans and of course shopping. But with non-essential retail not set to open until at least 12th April, wedding shopping has been a rather difficult task for couples and families.
The Pop-Up Bazaar founded by Ami Rabheru, founder of Indian fashion brand Designer Studio London and SME retail business consultancy The Retail Business Hub was started as a knee-jerk reaction to lockdown in April 2020 to help small businesses remain visible and help customers discover new brands and products they will love to shop!
The Pop Up Bazaar hosted a wedding special virtual pop up event catering to the south Asian community in the UK in February end on 27th and 28th. Ami shared her perspective on Asian weddings in the time of Corona and said, “After the initial shock of lockdown and the forced closure of non-essential retail, I decided to bring together some of my fellow industry business buddies to start a virtual pop up shop! I curated a selection of makers, designers, retailers and boutiques all under one virtual roof to create an innovative shopping experience and create that important connection with brands and customers. Something which started on social media has now grown to hosting the events on a purpose built platform at www.popupbazaar.co.uk.”
She further added, “Niche marketplaces have become ever popular for customers who are looking to break away from the big commercial online giants and shop in a more curated environment. The platform enables the customers to connect with the brands and their founders and discover their products and services whilst building those B2C relationships. We are thrilled to be the only virtual events platform supporting independent product businesses for the South Asian Market in the UK. The pop up bazaar has created a collaborative community not only with the businesses participating but also with customers wanting to support and buy from small businesses in the UK.”
