Popular local uniform business is only opening five days a week due to soaring energy prices
A local company with customers in Crewe, wider Cheshire and Staffordshire is having to take drastic measures - due to soaring energy costs.
Badged uniform warehouse, Love Lane, Sandbach is closing on Saturdays and asking staff to drop a day - after their gas and electricity bills went through the roof.
The business does corporate clothing, dance wear, school uniform, scouts and guides, sportswear, kits and customised workwear.
Located just seven miles from Crewe, it has a number of customers in the town - including schools.
Business owner, Lisa Simpson, says the monthly bill for gas and electricity has increased from £393 a month to a bumper £1,200.
The company now has to look at ways of reducing it.
Lisa, who bought the business in 2009 moved Badged to its current premises five years ago.
She says staff have reacted well to the news and worked around the new arrangement - which will mean them reducing their hours.
"It's a big building and it takes a lot of heat. We will be closing from this Saturday and just opening Monday – Friday until March," said Lisa.
"Hopefully things with energy prices will improve and we will be in a different situation from March," she added.
The business itself is almost 20 years old.
The business has over 1700 followers on Facebook.
"We only have lights on in the rooms we're working in. We're thinking twice about switching lights on." she said.
"The business is going well and we're very busy but we just can't absorb this huge increase in energy prices.
"We haven't taken the decision lightly - it been done with a lot of careful thought."
"It's only a short-term measure and we will be offering flexible opening hours during the week to fit in anyone who wants to visit us.
"Around 70 per cent of our business is done online and I can see more going online.
"The loyalty that the staff have shown has been marvellous. They are very dedicated and we're lucky to have them."
Badged does uniforms for schools and sports clubs in Crewe, Sandbach, Alsager and parts of Staffordshire.
It also does workwear for around 2,500 businesses in Congleton, Macclesfield, Leek and Biddulph.
It has an in-house embroidery department plus a large retail warehouse for school uniforms, shoes and workwear upstairs plus dance wear and other uniforms.
Lisa says she will fit around customers who want to visit the premises during the week outside of normal working hours. The company's website can be found HERE.
Manager, Tom Thorley-Fox, normally works four days in the week and a Saturday to fit around childcare.
This will now alter to him working during the week meaning he has to arrange alternative childcare arrangements on Mondays.
"It's a decision we have had to make as a company. It will affect us all in some way," he said.
Another employee, Angela Mills, who works in sales, has found her days have reduced from four to three and she has taken on another job one day a week to make up the hours.
"It's not nice but we all understand why it's happening."
Lisa Simpson fears more businesses will too have to look at ways of reducing energy costs.
"We will come out of this much stronger. It's only a temporary measure hopefully," she said.
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