We're closing a chapter.

By Sally Lerma April 20, 2018

Three and a half years ago I wrote a post in which I told you, with great excitement, that we had expanded our business thanks to one of the giants of the retail sector in this country having noticed us.

Today, with mixed feelings, I'm stopping by to let you know that we're closing our shop in El Corte Inglés on Castellana. Today, Sunday, April 22nd, will be the last day we offer our flowers in this iconic location.

These have been very interesting years, full of learning, in which we have been able to reach a very diverse audience in a place so different from what we are used to – like our store in Gabriel Lobo and The Studio – We invest heavily in creating, with the help of the interior design studio Madrid in Love , an attractive, very welcoming atmosphere, very much in line with our other spaces.

Photo: Lucía Marcano

As a result of this opportunity we created Sally Hambleton – Flowers to Go, a spin-off our main brand. For this, we have the help of a brilliant creative friend and the invaluable collaboration of the designer Jaime Sicre , who perfectly understood what we were looking for: an elegant, approachable brand image that conveyed quality, accessible to everyone, and with a packaging Very special, entirely handmade in Spain.

Photo: Lucía Marcano

The idea came to me when I saw a television program about chef David Muñoz, in which he discussed how he brought his five-star cuisine to a traditional bar, making his product more accessible to a wider range of customers. This inspired me to create Sally Hambleton – Ready to Go , or even better, Flowers to Go . Ready-to-go flowers. With extended hours, no need to order in advance, but with the same attention and quality.

Photo: Lucía Marcano

Photo: Ornella Binni

We started with three florists, a lot of work, and a ton of enthusiasm. We quickly realized that such long hours—362 days a year, 12 hours a day—required more staff (mind you: no one ever worked more than 8 hours a day, but we wanted them to be able to rest for three consecutive days), so we added another florist, and later another! And although the ECI girls—as we affectionately call them—gave it their all, many didn't even make it to a full year with us.

And then the alarm bells started ringing: it's incredibly difficult to create—our florists are true artists—and maintain an organized family or personal life when you're not well-rested. The women at El Corte Inglés worked different shifts every week; I personally would find it very difficult to live like that.

And as I'm a businesswoman who's guided much more by her heart than by what MBAs teach, I've made the decision to leave. Despite all the good things ECI has brought us, I think it's time to say goodbye. However, our ECI girls are staying with us, and you can see them all in Gabriel Lobo 10 Starting tomorrow, Monday, April 23rd. We're so happy to finally be all together. Awesome team!

And also, thanks to this extra staff we'll have – you can help us by placing LOTS of orders 😉 – we've decided to extend our opening hours, closing at 8 pm instead of 7 pm, and offering telephone support until 10 pm. What do you think? Let's give it a try. Wish us luck!

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support over these years, El Corte Inglés for welcoming us so warmly into their store, and above all, my ECI girls: THANK YOU for fighting until the very last minute.

XXX,

We're closing a chapter.

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