LAST weekend saw the highly anticipated Preloved Pop-Up Prom Shop arrive at The Baytree Shopping Centre where those that need that extra help financially for prom season could come along and receive a free outfit. The weekend was a massive success.
A group of dresses on swingers in a store
The Baytree, located in the heart of Brentwood, has spent the past couple of months putting out the call to local people and businesses for gently worn dresses, suits, shoes and accessories, to give local teenagers whose families may be financially struggling the chance to receive the prom experience they deserve.
Thanks to the generous support of the local community, The Baytree received an incredible turnout of over 450 donated dresses and suits, which were restored to perfect condition and placed on shop rails for a true shop-like experience.
In total 120 teens pre-booked their prom shop experience, with volunteers and seamstresses present throughout Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th March to ensure the perfect fit. Of these an incredible 95% found the perfect look, with dresses in every silhouette and colour, and suits for every personality available to shop.
Despite so many students finding their perfect outfit the pop-up still has many gorgeous items left so The Baytree Shopping Centre has decided to open the pop-up shop for two extra days due to popular demand, on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th April in the Easter holidays. Slots are open to book on The Baytree’s website.
The inspiration for the event came after the shopping centre conducted their own research into the prices of prom, finding that on average parents reported the price of prom totalled a whopping £803, with the price of a dress or suit constituting on average £315 of this cost. The remainder consists of costs of everything from haircuts, highlights and beauty, to prom ticket price and transportation.
The survey also showed that 74% of parents reported that they would be concerned that they could not afford the outfit their child loved when visiting a prom shop and a huge 91% of parents have reported that they believe the price of proms have increased over the last few years, putting significant strain on budgets.
Such statistics stress the importance of allowing such an opportunity for teenagers to come and choose their very own outfit, without the concern of a price tag or judgement. The weekend saw extremely positive feedback from both the teenagers in attendance and their parents or carers, many of which explained that they were otherwise considering not sending their children to prom due to financial struggles.
The Baytree has extended a special thanks to the local businesses who have assisted on everything from dry-cleaning and dress alterations, to the decoration of the pop-up shop and prizes that were enjoyed on the day. A full list of participating companies can be found on The Baytree’s website.
Richard Wilson, Managing Director of Apple Hatch consultant to SAIL, Operators of The Baytree Shopping Centre commented “We were absolutely thrilled to hear of the success of this weekend’s Pre-loved Prom Pop-Up Shop. This would not be possible without the generosity of the general public for donating these fantastic items, the local companies for getting involved, and of course of volunteers and seamstresses who ran the shop on the day, ensuring that each teenager received a magical experience to remember.”
Richard continued “Thanks to everyone’s support, we are excited to announce that we are opening the pop-up shop for another two days in the Easter holidays to find even more outfits for local teenagers. If you know somebody who would benefit from visiting us here at The Baytree, make sure to spread the word. These slots are expected to get booked up quickly!”
For more information, visit www.baytreeshoppingcentre.com or email [email protected]
