The Prom Pop-Up Shop at The Baytree Shopping Centre opened its doors once again last weekend. With its rails packed with over 500 dresses and suits for teens to choose from, and every item within the pop-up donated, even more youngsters were able to select a free outfit.
The pop-up was opened in March to support those that need that extra help financially for prom season, and after the success of the first sessions, opened for a second time last weekend.
Feedback from parents and carers reinforced the overwhelming need for support when it comes to events such as prom, which place significant strain on their purse strings. Being able to secure an outfit free of charge meant that many of the teens would be able to go to prom after all, as the costs involved were simply beyond their reach.
image006.jpgThis was the inspiration for the event – the centre found in a survey 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, stressing 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.
image007.jpgThanks to the generous support of the local community and businesses, The Baytree received an incredible 600 donated dresses and suits, which were restored to perfect condition and placed on shop rails for a true shop-like experience.
In total over 200 teens pre-booked their prom shop experience, with volunteers and seamstresses present throughout the four days 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. At an average £315 per dress, the pop-up has saved parents and carers over £60,000 and of course, given the barely or never worn outfits another lease of life.
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 the 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.”
