A reminder and reason to shop early and shop small this holiday season
Hi all,
Nothing about this year has been normal, and the holidays are no exception. I expect that I'm not the first small business to urge you to shop early and small this year, but I want to share why I think both of these are especially important this year.
WHY SHOP EARLY?
First, there are still shipping delays—USPS and all other carriers have been experiencing delays this year, which are expected to increase during this holiday season.
Second, because of COVID-19, many small businesses continue to face supply chain disruptions—delays and shortages of goods that we use to create and ship your orders (think: paper, envelopes, packaging, shipping boxes, etc.) Many of us are working with no or fewer employees, and our manufacturing partners are often also small businesses who are facing the same disruptions.
Lastly and always, goods made with love take extra time—part of what is wonderful about shopping small is that you're getting goods that are dreamt up, designed, and made by a real human. For example, I print, paint, package, and ship every single card that you order. This extra bit of specialness takes an extra bit of time.
Having a bigger time cushion helps us plan for all of these things (and for us to troubleshoot when some things inevitably go sideways), which will help ensure your orders arrive on time.
WHY SHOP SMALL?
We believe in what we sell, and that what we sell matters—For independent makers, our businesses are our lives, not just our livelihoods. We put love into and take pride in our work, and for us, it's personal. We use what we sell, and chances are we made it because we needed it and thought others might too. Kwohtations is essentially my life in greeting cards, in which I offer up my own truths on navigating love and loss, (re)defining family and success, and figuring out what it means to show up for myself and others. My hope is that others see a bit of themselves in Kwohtations, and feel more seen and less alone.
When you order from us, it truly makes a difference—Buying from a small business (which is often just one very tired person masquerading as a business (hi!)) is so much more than a transaction. I see and process every order that comes through, and handwrite a personal note of gratitude for every package because every single order makes our dreams a little more concrete. I read and respond to all of your reviews, checkout notes, emails, and DMs—in a time of disconnection, these small points of connection are significant.
We support our communities (and are part of yours)—When you shop with a small business, your dollar goes a lot further—it goes to taking care of our families, paying any employees a decent wage, maintaining safe working environments, buying quality materials, and paying taxes. We shop at other small businesses, buy coffee from the neighborhood café and books from the local bookshop, and go to the post office an outrageous number of times per week.
None of us are in it for the money, but realistically we can't keep running without it. If you can, I hope that you'll consider shopping small (and early!!) this holiday season—I promise that we're worth the wait.
xo,
Janine
📮 IMPORTANT SHIPPING DEADLINES 📮
If you're shopping with Kwohtations this holiday season, please plan to place your orders by December 10 to give this elf time to print, pack, and ship your goodies in time!
Orders placed after December 10 will be processed and shipped as soon as possible, and the last date to place any order in 2020 is December 18.