For the most part, the announcment I am about to make will not upset my loyal customers if at all, so bare with me.
I have been in the process of changing suppliers for the last several months. For a few years I did business with a company that supplied me my cocoa butters, soy waxes, and fragrance oils. Over the last year I became dishearted to discover the dishonesty and disloyalty of this company towards the customers (such as myself).
This company claimed to be out to help the small business owner and I discovered that prices on shipping and various prices were being gauged to increase the profit of the supplier. This upset me tremendously because I enjoy what I do but I like to offer fair prices for my trade and this supplier over charging on shipping and specific needs made it where my profit was a minimum and made it difficult to replenish my stock of butters, oils and waxes to create more products at good price.
What bothered me was the claim on soy wax had gone up so high in cost due to a poor crop and price per case and pallet was based on the stock market. The cost of my wax was about 100.00 a case and then with the shipping be gauged I was spending nearly 150.00 dollars on a case. It was rediculous.
With my own online business, I am very familur with the cost of shipping via USPS, UPS, FEDEX and others and know that exact shipping is calculated according to weight, demension and zone/area code. I checked in according to how much my wax weighed and the destination with the shipping company and found my products were being shipped to me at a minimum of 30.00 MORE than what it was suppost. 30.00 is alot of money for a small business owner and can buy alot more supplies to replenish my stock!
I was upset to say the least. I had noticed several discrepencies aside from the cost of the wax and shipping throughout my suppliers inventory. When I contacted them to find out what the issues were I had recieved rude comments and phoney explanations. I was mad then.
Over the last several months I have been searching out other suppliers offering the same products for 100% less than what I was buying it for from the current suppliers.
What really did me in with them, is I looked over my invoices in the last 12 months and supplies I had purchased last year at this time was say 10.00 is now 24.00!!! Well over a 100% markup. I was beyond angry.
The good news is I am cutting this supplier loose all together as soon as I find replacments for specific needs. Thus far I have 90% of my supplies located with closer suppliers and much better and cheaper prices with the same or better qaulity. So I will be able to maintane my prices and on something go down a little.
The bad news:
There will be a few fragrances I will be discontinuing from my line because I absolutely refuse to deal with a dishonest person or company. Their claim is to help small business', when in fact they are making money by screwing small business' over. It's disgusting and I refuse to take part in padding their pockets at the expense of mine or my customers when I can better, faster and cheaper somewhere else!
The fragrances that will no longer be carried either perminantly or until which time I find a suitable replacment or can create my own is( Next to it is the better replacment coming soon)
RASPBERRY CREAM-----> Wild Raspberries
CARAMEL CORN-------> No Replacment yet
TOASTED COCONUT --------> Coconut Milk
ICE TEA TWIST---------> No Replacment yet
PINK SUGAR -----------> Pink Sugar, new Supplier, maybe slightly differant but doubtful.
PINK ----------> PINK , New Supplier, maybe slightly differant but doubtful.
PURE SEDUCTION ---------> NONE
CARRIBEAN COCONUT ---------> Flip Flops, is much better, but still in testing.
CALYX --------> None
HOME SWEET HOME ------> Cinnamon stick
BIRD OF PARADISE ------> Bird of Paradise, maybe lighter, but smells better.
SAND AND SUN -------> NONE
PUMPKIN CRUNCH -------> Sweet Potato Pie
APPLE JACK --------> None
For the customers who especially loved the raspberry cream, I do apologize, but the wild raspberries is a delight and you will love it. I just cannot support the dishonesty of a company, not to mention we have some new better fragrances gracing our candle line all through out this year and I urge you to keep posted for sneak previews of what is to come. I can't wait to introduce the new scents to the candle line.
June is going to be a busy month for the website, so keep posted for changes.
1. I will be updating our candle scents , adding our newest additions to grace our candle line from May. New additions are APPLE BLOSSOM, BLACKBERRY SAGE, DOWNY, FRENCH VANILLA, WILD HONEY and BERMUDA TRIANGLE and Mandarin Plum.
Bermuda Triangle was launched May 1st at Market and we can't keep this fragrance in stock it seems. I am doing my best to keep it available for the demand, so bare with me. Special orders for bath and Body as well as candles are welcomed as always. :)
I have found a vanilla that I am happy with, but I am continuing my search for find others to accompany the new one, French Vanilla, to give a variety to customers who have differant preferances in vanilla types.
Apple blossom is simply amazing. I cannot get enough of this scent. I have made candles like crazy and I am fighting the urge to burn them as soon as they are poured. I know I must make them for the customers, but I can't resist, it's so sweet and fruity with a hint of floral.
Blackberry Sage... mmm. this is one is unique. I smell sweet fruity blackberries and the undertone of herbal sage gives it an interesting twist. Sound strange? It's absolutely wonderful!
Downy. Fresh, clean, smells like the fabric softener. I love this one!
Wild Honey, it's true to it's name and the customers are raving about it.
Mandarin Plum - This one really grew on me fast. It's a wonderful aromatic blend of sweet juicy plums with a citrus twist. I just love it. Nice and strong and delicious!
Summer has brought some new scentsational twists to our candles, with more to come.
In june we will be sampling a new variety of fragrances to accompany the summer season as well as testing in advance for new scents to add to our fall and winter seasonal line. As usual, scents that are popular for our seasonal line, will remain on the list year round.
I can't wait to test the new ones coming and we have been hard at work mixing some new ones for our signature series candles.
Soaps 'N Suds signature scents are fragrances we blend and mix ourselves that no one else has.
Thus far, this collection includes: Country Berry Pancakes, Almond Joy, Cherry Fairie and Melissa. They are absolutely delightful and exclusive to us.
We will be at the First Farmer's Market in Hobbs, New Mexico June 6, 2009. Hope to see all of our local and out of town customers there.
Just a little announcment to my followers and friends, Hobbs is hosting their first Farmers Market June 6, 2009.
Market opens at 7 am and closes at Noon. For this year, being the first season, we are only doing market one a month, being the first Saturday of each month! If all goes well and it is accepted well with the community we will go to every saturday.
What does this mean for my Customers in other areas and Farmer's Market. Nothing is changing, I will be at the Midland Farmers Market every saturday for the exception of the first saturday of the month. Depending on how well this years market is in hobbs and IF we go to every saturday I will most likely do every other saturday in Midland and every other saturday in Hobbs. All is determined by my customers of course.
:)
NEW Lava-licious Natural Lip Gloss will be launched this saturday at Market in Midland Texas!
Packaged in a roll-on bottle, this two toned lip gloss is highly sweet with natural sweetener. Ultra smooth, glides on clear and heals and moisturizes with Sunflower Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax and Soy.
Just shake it up and mix the two layers of flavor and moisturizer and apply it your lips.
1 oz, roll on tube $3.50
This last saturday was my first farmer's market to attend. I have been looking for the information for over a year on differant places to go, and amazingly it was provided in a matter of a couple of days.
How exciting!
Packed everything up and left at 5:30 am saturday morning and got there just in time, took 20 minutes to set up so I was late.
It was a learning experience on how I should make sure I am up alot earlier to have my make up done and gone way before 5:30 am so I can be there early and set up by the time shoppers come.
The booth looked nice and the people were so friendly.
We made a nice sum of money for the first trip to market and I definately want to go back again and again and again and again. lol
Here are some pictures
