2022 Update - What's Happening At the Hive

January 31, 2022

Wow! What a rollercoaster the last two years have been, right!? So many challenges for us individually and collectively in each state, and as a nation. I hope you have survived so far relatively unscathed. Since I'm a bit of a hermit and tend to lock myself away in my sewing workshop, going into lockdown didn't really bother me too much. But as time has gone on the effects of the pandemic have taken their toll on my business, as with so many others. As a result I'm making a few changes as we settle into 2022.

First, some good news is that I have just added a bunch of new boys' cake smash outfits to the store, and there are a heap more to come, as well as a stunning array of new girls' cake smash outfits. Can you believe some of the new fabrics took 18 months to get here! Hopefully it won't take 18 months for me to get them made up and in the store... It's so exciting seeing new fabrics come to life!

Pricing - Global supply chain issues have seen increases in the cost of my raw materials, with everything including buttons, elastic, threads, fabrics and trims going up. Some items have risen in price by as much as 40%. It has been several years since the prices of my outfits have risen, and during that time I have absorbed numerous smaller cost increases, however due to the higher increases and the number of items involved I am no longer able to do so.  My prices will be reviewed and adjusted as necessary, while endeavouring to keep any increases to a minimum. I know you will understand that as a small one-woman-business, while I love what I do with a passion, I still have to pay the bills in order to keep operating while providing quality products and value for my customers. In light of the price increases, I am working on some product bundles to offer greater value and more 'bang for your buck', so keep an eye on your socials for details of those when they launch.

Whilst the cost of postage/shipping has also increased (again...) over the last year I have decided to keep the flat rate shipping cost as is at $10 Australia wide for the time being. 

Custom Orders - Since the start of the pandemic it has become very difficult to source fabrics for clients who wanted specific designs for custom orders. I frequently found myself spending 8 or 10 hours online, on the phone and in the car trying to find a metre of fabric for one outfit. That is time I would not get paid for (plus costing me petrol), and could be better used making stock for my store. If I was able to find a suitable fabric and order it, with all the lockdowns and border closures getting the fabric delivered in time for me to make an outfit and send it on to the client on schedule for their event was another hurdle that became too high to jump. So, I have taken the difficult decision to cease offering a custom order service. I will continue to expand my stock range as suitable fabrics and designs become available, so hopefully you will find something to suit pretty much any cake smash theme.

Workshop Hours/Processing Times - Due to ongoing health issues I have to limit the time I spend in the workshop, so orders may take a little longer to be made/processed. I will always try to get orders in the mail as quickly as possible, but please allow an extra couple of days. Regular mailing days will be Tuesdays and Fridays. Thank you for your understanding. 

I hope that 2022 is kind to you and that you have lots of celebrations to smash some cake at! Thank you for supporting my small business and enabling me to keep doing something I love. 

 

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