A mum has told how she was inspired to start her booming prom dress shop after her daughter was left heartbroken buying a gown for her school leavers’ prom.

Lisa Groutage, 55, was upset at how her daughter Megan was treated as a 15-year-old searching for her dress for the prom at Lode Heath School, Solihull.

She said: “My daughter was so excited about her prom but she was left heartbroken buying her dress because she was treated as a second class citizen because she wasn’t buying a bridal dress and the shop didn’t really cater for prom girls.

“What should have been a really exciting day for both of us was a huge let down.

“I thought that I could make girls feel special and offer them a much better experience and that was the lightbulb moment for my business.

“Megan was going to pull out and I persuaded her to try a second shop where we had a better experience finding her dress. That was the moment I knew I wanted to open a prom shop – to make a difference for others.”

 Lisa Groutage inside her Bridal and Prom Bar shop in Dorridge, Solihull

Six years ago, Lisa opened the Bridal and Prom Bar at first in Hall Green with just 25 dresses.

It quickly took off and she now stocks more than 500 dresses at the new much bigger premises in Station Approach, Dorridge, Solihull, which Lisa moved to a year ago.

She operates with five stylists who individually pick the fairytale gown so that all their customers feel like a princess on the night of their proms.

Most mixed schools in the West Midlands – state and private – have them to celebrate the end of the school year after GSCEs – a tradition picked up from America where the prom has been part of the high school calendar for decades.

Lisa refuses to sell the same dress – even in a different colour – to two girls from the same school, so every pupil looks special on the night with a unique outfit.

Dress wars break out as girls compete for the most popular designs which can cost as much as £450.

The best seller for 2024’s proms is a £600 ball gown which has already been sold to 15 schools in the West Midlands, and the average price of a dress is between £299 and £650.

Lisa is aware that this a stretch to lots of families and she gives away dresses each year to pupils after schools nominate girls who need help. She operates a scheme with Woodrush High School in Wythall where some dresses are donated.

Customers come from as far as Grimsby to bag the best dresses after finding the shop on social media. 

Lisa lives with her husband Neil and 18-year-old son Mackenzie in Yew Tree Lane, Solihull, while their daughter Megan, 25, now works as cabin crew for the airline Jet2.

She said: “We have girls coming into the shop as early as September to book their dress for a prom which won’t be happening till the following summer.

“Obviously there is competition for the most popular designs and we do get dress wars where you have girls upset that their favourite dress is taken.

“That is why I have individual stylists for each girl so that we can pick another design from the 500 available at the shop and they will look just as good.

“The dresses are a big expense for many but what happens is families rally around and the aunty and the granny all chip in because they are determined to get their girl the dress of their dreams.”

Lisa still sells bridal dresses at her shop but she is shifting all activity to proms because it is more fun.

A former mobile hairdresser, Lisa said that prom night was an important rite of passage in any teenager’s upbringing.

She said: “It is so much more than a dress. This is a milestone in their lives – they are saying goodbye to their school and their friends and embarking on the next stage of their lives.

“Our customers all come back saying that their prom night was one of the best nights of their lives, and they love posting pictures on social media to remember the occasion.

“All the mixed schools around here have a prom and it is a really wonderful occasion for all the pupils. It is so special for me and my team to be part of that process.”

Manhattan Associates (NASDAQ: MANH), a global supply chain commerce authority, has today unveiled its Fulfillment Experience Insights dashboard. This innovative tool is designed to offer retailers a real-time analysis of how their omnichannel fulfillment operations compare with the broader industry. The dashboard represents a significant advancement in continuous benchmarking, enabling retailers to see how they fare against a wide array of peers and competitors, effectively overcoming the usual delays found in traditional benchmarking tools.

Incorporated into Manhattan Active® Omni, this novel capability provides a singular view of key digital order fulfillment metrics, including store pickup conversion, shorts and abandonment, and fulfillment timeframes. Retailers can now scrutinize, quantify, and refine their supply chain execution strategies through the use of aggregated and anonymised data from the Manhattan Active cloud ecosystem. This distinctive analytical tool allows for rapid shifting between different timeframes, offering comprehensive insights into the experiences retailers are delivering to their customers.

Discussing the new dashboard, Amy Tennent, senior director of Product Management at Manhattan, said, “Introducing cutting-edge innovation like the Fulfillment Experience Insights Dashboard is one of the reasons Manhattan continues to be ranked the only leader in omnichannel order management. For the first time ever, retail operations teams can see exactly how they are performing against the rest of the industry. This is a complete game changer, because they now have a starting point to begin creating more efficiency and improving fulfillment performance for their customers.”

Manhattan’s development of this solution is enabled by its extensive experience working with hundreds of leading global brands, which use its fulfillment execution tools to handle millions of orders weekly. Utilizing this deep knowledge, Manhattan has identified the essential performance indicators vital for fostering growth and maximising revenue.

Following last year’s introduction of the first-of-its-kind Unified Commerce Benchmark, which analysed 286 customer experience capabilities across four segments, it was evident that the ‘Promising & Fulfillment’ segment lagged behind others. Manhattan’s new dashboard offers retailers real-time insight into this critical area, aiding them in becoming frontrunners in Unified Commerce.

For a demo or more details, visit Manhattan’s Booth #3639 at NRF 2024.

NetBet, a leading gaming operator, has excitingly announced Arsenal legend Ray Parlour as their UK brand ambassador for the 2024 season, following the successful launch of their new sports betting app.

Having established a strong presence in the UK market with their sports betting and online casino offerings, NetBet’s partnership with Ray Parlour marks a significant step. Parlour, known for his extensive knowledge and popularity in football, horse racing, and golf, aligns perfectly with NetBet’s vision for a sport-packed 2024.

Parlour, an integral part of Arsenal’s renowned Invincibles, will now lend his charisma to NetBet’s sports and casino marketing efforts, promoting the brand in an engaging and responsible fashion.

Coinciding with this partnership, NetBet has introduced an updated sports betting app, packed with features like free-to-play games, daily promotions, and extensive betting markets across top sports.

Ray Parlour expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “I’m thrilled to be part of NetBet. We’ve got an unbelievable year of sport ahead and NetBet has some fantastic plans for me to get involved with.” NetBet Managing Director Marcel Prioteasa remarked, “We’re delighted to have Ray as part of our team. We know that our players know a thing or two about sport, and with Ray being one of the most loved characters in football, we’re excited for them to enjoy his exclusive content and expert opinion.”

NetBet, with a UK gambling license since 2017, is operated by NetBet Enterprises Limited and enjoys a strong global player base.

IMO, renowned as the largest car wash company in the world, is set to open six new locations in December 2023. These will be located in Genk and Beringen in Belgium; Ostrava in the Czech Republic; Miskolc in Hungary; and Warilla and Perth Airport in Australia.

Staying true to its reputation for innovation in the conveyor car wash industry, the new IMO locations will feature:

• State-of-the-art wheel scrubbing technology with a foaming alloy spa.
• A foam application process to effectively remove paint contaminants.
• A polymer-based soft brushing technique for enhanced paintwork shine.
• Door sill technology targeting the lower half of the car.
• Cutting-edge drying technology with a 155mph air speed smart nozzle.
• Soft towelling drying strips and polish options for a perfect finish.
• Contactless payment for vacuums and jet washes.
• Contactless payment for air and water services.

Additionally, IMO is introducing its Ceramic XTR in these international markets for the first time.

Tracy Gehlan, president of IMO, remarked: “Developed for people who love their cars, Ceramic XTR has been carefully created using the latest surface technology and innovative ingredients which, in conjunction with our handmade, soft foam brushes, combine to provide a showroom shine and surface protection that lasts.”

Gehlan further commented: “Ceramic XTR from IMO is the most durable paint protection car wash we have ever released. Throughout its development, our experts have continuously refined the formulation to produce an extreme ceramic coating with a deep gloss-like finish.”