SUPPORT, empathy and a friendly face are just a few of the qualities the team at Bare Necessities Lingerie brings to every customer interaction.
Owner Sharon Tuffnell brings nearly 40 years of retail experience and leads the close-knit team – Sheryn, Josie, Jemma and Faith with Helen providing support behind the scenes.
As the store enters its 14th year, what began with Sharon running the business solo for the first 13 months, Bare Necessities Lingerie has grown into more than just a retail store – it has become a safe place where customers feel like part of the family.
The store offers an extensive range of lingerie, sleepwear, shapewear, hosiery and post surgical products, all carefully chosen to meet the diverse needs of their customers.
“The beauty about being an independent retailer is that we get to make the choices of what we stock – the brands, the styles, the sizes, the shapes and the colours,” Sharon said.
“We don’t just get allotments that turn up on the door, we actually get to curate and design what we stock, so we carefully select what we know is going to work for us, for our demographic and for customers.
“Because we do personally know a lot about our customers, we do take them into account when we buy.”
Despite the rise of online shopping, what continues to set Bare Necessities Lingerie apart is the personalised, face-to-face shopping experience.
“You do get some level of service with an online store, but we put time into getting to know a customer, asking them a series of questions around their lifestyle, their colour choices, underwire, non underwire, full cup, balconette, there’s a lot that we ask,” Sharon said.
“We’re going to put you through the third degree before we even get into the fitting rooms because it helps.
“And then sometimes we’ll suggest a totally different style to what they’re thinking and it works for them.. Letting them lead us, but also guiding them to maybe what might be a more suitable fit or more appropriate.
“You create more of a family around you, rather than just being a store that makes a sale, which is how we get that repeat customer base and customers from all over Australia – and once they’ve been here once, they quite often reach out to us again to come back or have things sent to them.”
Sharon emphasised that there is always something new to learn and room for growth, recently attending an event in Melbourne with Jemma.
“We’re always looking for new products and always researching,” Sharon said.
“I must say, after 36 years, I can still learn new tricks.
“You never stop learning – for me, it’s about always growing and developing my own skills, but also passing it on to my staff.”
Over the years, Bare Necessities Lingerie has supported important causes through its partnerships with the groups such as the Women’s Health Network, the Mount Gambier Cancer Support group and the Breast Cancer Awareness Group.
“You can’t be a part of everything and all of it, but it’s finding that niche with what you’re passionate about, what fits with your branding and helping in the community where you can,” Sharon said.
“If someone comes to us with an initiative or an idea and there is something we can do to help, we try.”
Sharon approaches her business with honesty and authenticity and believes that staying true to herself is a key to the special connection she shares with each customer.
“I am who I am and I don’t try to be anything I’m not,” she said.
“I think you need to be real and authentic in what you do and what you offer.
“Every woman that walks in the door complains about their body… Nobody’s body is perfect.
“We’ve all got a body, and we’ve kind of got to love the body we’re in.
“We’ve all got things we think are flaws and I always say my party trick is knowing what size someone’s bra is by looking at them.”
Sharon stressed the importance of regular fittings at least every 12 months.
“It’s still pretty much a known fact that 80 per cent of people don’t wear the right size or style of bra,” Sharon said.
“Our body changes over our life, we don’t stay the same shape or size, so when you’re 20, you’re probably not going to wear the same bra in your 50s.
“Even if it’s just checking your fitting, we don’t mind.
“We do a lot of training around that – to understand different bodies and bras and realising that nobody has 100 per cent symmetry in their body.
“It’s about finding the right product and if we haven’t got it, we’ll find it.”
Finding the right fit is only part of the process and educating customers on how to care for their lingerie and maximise its lifespan based on style and fabric is also a key focus for the store.
The Bare Necessities Lingerie team also pride themselves on being an inclusive space, welcome to all.
“We are open and diverse, so we welcome anyone in the store that we can help,” Sharon said.
“We don’t have any barriers around that.”
