Ms Trixie Khong, the founder of By Invite Only Jewellery, had just opened her first physical store two years before the pandemic.SINGAPORE - Ms Trixie Khong, 33, is the founder and chief executive of home-grown brand By Invite Only Jewellery.
We had already expanded to two stores and six staff when the first circuit breaker was implemented. That period, along with the heightened alert, were our most challenging moments. We kept everyone on the retail team employed but that was the hardest decision we had to make. Many stores started to close down. The malls became increasingly desperate and were more welcoming to local brands.We were offered space in a prime location. The terms were so good we had to seize the opportunity despite bleeding cash. We had plans to expand anyway. After all, American billionaire and business magnate Warren Buffett did say: 'Buy when everyone else is selling.'
Unfortunately, our Bugis branch opened weeks after Covid-19 was detected at Bugis Junction. People were spooked, the mall was empty, morale was low. The team wanted to work elsewhere.