hi guys!
hope youre all enjoying this heat wave as much as i am!! i LOVE it. im totally one of those people that sits in the car with the windows up when its 90 degrees out for a few minutes before taking off. lol anyhow-- i could talk about summer all summer and winter too, but i think ive got a few more important things i actually need to talk about.
so, as i mentioned in my last post.... we considered opening for retail shopping on our pick up days in the month of july. we decided to do a really quiet, soft opening without telling everyone just yet to see how things went because everything on the back end with the checkout has had to change. some of our customers dont use computers or have smart phones to order online, and they have gone so long without their soaps and such, so we really want to try to make shopping in store available, especially for people like them that dont have the ability to order online and select in store pick up.
we are really apprehensive about reopening 1, because covid, and 2 because our entire shop and operation has been flipped upside down.......but so far we have done two days, and heres what to expect if you plan to come in to shop.
the store set up is nothing like it used to be. we dont have piles of soap to dig through -- instead they are all pre-weighed and on racks clearly stating their price, we have 3 different size options available just as we do online. we have to do things this way for now, as everything we have in stock has all got to be inventoried in our online shop due to the increased online purchasing and the lack of available product.
we are not accepting any cash. so please bring your bank/credit cards with you. we literally do not have a register running. just our card reader.
we also are not cutting bars in half... we are trying to limit the length of time someone is at the counter as we have a limit of 5 customers at a time so it is important for our transactions to be speedy so others can make their way in to get their shopping done.
our sample " testers" are not out for testing. we have everything pulled to the back, to try to limit how many things people are touching while they are in the shop.
our serums and lotions are also in the back, so if you need one, please ask us and we will be happy to get that for you.
scrubbles are pre-weighed, pre-priced and pre-bagged - scents and prices as marked.
laundry soap is also pre-weighed, bagged and priced.
some soaps which go in bags normally have also been pre-bagged, weighed and priced.
really, the only thing available in the shop that isnt available online are a couple of shimmer whips, scrubbles and a couple of straggler bars of soap.
....sigh. this has all been really difficult guys, and i really just want to thank you for being so understanding, especially since most of you dont really know what the back end of things is like for us, both in production and in the online/retail sales aspects.
normally all year round i am able to get my ingredients, and packaging with no problems. i mean every once n a while theres a shortage or a delay, but nothing --- not even remotely close to the stuff i am having to deal with right now...normally, i am able to have enough stock on most product that we just keep a couple racks of things in the back for online orders only, and the rest goes out into the retail shop..... but with stock being so low and online ordering on the upswing, we really had no option other than to do things this way. the shop just had no choice but to basically become an in-store online shop.
we hope you can understand and roll with these changes as we are.... its certainly not been easy or fun, but we are doing our very best to get things made and make them available to you. we also are trying to get samples into your pick up bags and shipping boxes so that you can try out the stuff we have coming out as it becomes available since walking around the shop as smelling things as usual isnt excatly an option right now.
we also are not currently taking any custom orders. i am so very sorry, i wish we could -- we just cannot guarantee ingredients being in stock in order to get your order filled by the date you need it.
ingredient/packaging availability and price hikes have been a total mare. basically the only things im not having trouble getting --- stress, emails and bills. lol blah.grr. really dont know how im supposed to gear up for the holidays when i cant even stock summer product!
anyhow, enough of that -- i am so thankful and grateful to still be here and still be able to produce anything at all ---- i guess i just hate so much the feeling that i am letting you all down by not being able to make the everythings you have come to trust and love for your skincare needs. i promise i am doing everything i possibly can to get as much made as i possibly can. we will definitely always update you on facebook and instagram as product becomes available.
ok, so... as of right now we are currently open for retail sales and in store pick ups on tuesday and saturday from 10-2. we will keep you posted of course if anything changes regarding that.
we appreciate your patience and understanding as we get throught this.
thank you so much!
until next,
-heidi