Our storefront is still closed, with no end in sight. If we're being honest, we're frustrated—frustrated with the powers that be for leaving us in the dark, for moving so slowly, for many things. But that's a rant for another day and possibly another space. Our fellow merchants and locals are feeling the same frustrations. Our hands are tied due to no fault of our own, and we're left to pick up the pieces and move on. It's disheartening.
But frustration is just a tiny part of the mix of emotions we've been dealing with lately. At the heart of it all is gratitude. We are floored by the support we've received in these last couple of weeks (has it only been a couple of weeks? It feels like ages...). We genuinely had no idea we'd find ourselves cradled in the support of thousands. It's comfort in a time of uncertainty that we can't put a value on.
If you've visited our online store recently, you've likely seen that we are out of some products. We had a pretty good rhythm worked out before this madness. Our crew all had our tasks and routines. Recently though, all hands on deck have been focused on shipping your orders. Shipping takes so much more energy than selling in person. And to boot, we've had to trek each and every package down to the post office on foot. Main St. access is still limited, and our post office doesn't offer pick-up at our location (Bisbee is one of a few geographical oddities that is affected in this way).
We by no means are complaining. Please, keep us overwhelmed, keep us going. It looks like this is our new rhythm for the foreseeable future. We are finally seeing the light at the end of the shipping tunnel! That means we can get back to the rhythm of crafting your favorite goods. However, there are still a number of items out of stock that take more time; soap, for instance. To ease the issue of unavailability, we're offering all of our out-of-stock soap and shave soap on a pre-order basis. A number of our out-of-stock soaps are actually made and waiting—but soap has a cure time of 4 - 6 weeks, so those will be popping back in periodically as they become ready.
Look for the 'pre-order' tags
Also, we've introduced tipping at checkout. We want to be clear, it's not about greed; it's about securing our future and giving back. If needed, the funds will help us stay afloat, but our hope is to invest them right back into our community. We're still figuring out the specifics, and we'll keep you in the loop as we make those decisions.
Our neighbors at Poco have generously shared their space with us. They're literal life-savers. We plan to continue to setup in Peddler's Alley, next to Poco, on Saturdays and Sundays for the foreseeable future. Swing on by if you're able.
Again, as always, the most important thing we wanted to convey is: Thank you. Those words seem so small in comparison to all we've received.
