Props and Frocks

Alex Polizzi is called in to a faltering fancy dress shop in Essex - Props and Frocks. Last year, owner Adele took out emergency bank loans to prevent the business going bust. When Alex arrives, she discovers one of the main reasons why - literally thousands and thousands of lines of stock, filling not only the shop but garages and outhouses too. Adele is a stockaholic. She's also a workaholic who can't leave the shop as she doesn't trust anyone else, and has a hugely emotional attachment to the costumes. She's smothering the business and needs to take a step back. The family meanwhile see the shop as an extension of their home. Adele's own mother Joy, who also works in the shop, cannot stand anyone touching any of the goods. Alex tackles the problems by getting son and daughter Rhys and Ellis to start taking some initiative in the business and she confronts Adele's addiction to ordering stock head on. She brings in retail design expert Karl McKeever, who has worked with the likes of M&S and Disney Stores, to address the sprawling shop interior. And she takes the whole family to work for a day in one of the busiest stores in the UK - to help them understand how a major retailer deals with having customers using and abusing their stock: they welcome it! Alex also discovers the staff have it relatively easy, and forces Adele to face them down over weekend working. Alex's time with the family culminates with a grand relaunching of the shop on their busiest day of the year - Halloween. All of the above - plus the chance to see Alex Polizzi on a promotional stunt for the store, dressed up as a 70s glam rocker! Can she revive the floundering business and in the process give Adele her life back?