The short answer
Ring the shop bell to summon the next customer: this is an official Build 403 change. Gifts and pigeon invitations are separate systems described by a launch player. Their exact unlock thresholds have not been verified here.
Ring the bell for the next customer
Build 403’s notes explicitly say the next customer now requires the bell. If you are waiting for another customer to arrive, use the bell instead of assuming that they appear automatically.
That change is not a universal fix for progression problems. A dress that cannot be finalized needs the piece-and-seam checks in the sewing guide; a project hidden behind another draft needs the draft-book navigation guide.
Sources for this section
- Cozy Lives / Free Lives: Our First Patch Is Live! — Build 403 · Checked 2026-09-24 · Published 2026-09-22
Gifts and pattern unlocks
Seerolz reports that gifting a dress raises the recipient’s level and can unlock patterns. The source does not provide a complete customer-level table. Note any observed level change and newly available pattern; do not assume a particular number of gifts guarantees an unlock.
Sources for this section
- Seerolz and attributed Steam commenters: Thing’s I’ve Learned · Checked 2026-09-24
Inviting a particular customer
The same player guide says the pigeon can invite certain characters after it unlocks. It does not identify an exact unlock trigger or establish that every customer can be invited. Check the choices available in your game.
Sources for this section
- Seerolz and attributed Steam commenters: Thing’s I’ve Learned · Checked 2026-09-24
Your checklist
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Research checked 2026-09-24. This is a source-based guide; Kingy has not independently play-tested these steps. Evidence and coverage.