TRADE WARS
Are cramping the FREAK VIBE and affecting our inventory.
Please read on for crucial pending order updates 💚.
MATCHA FREAKS — Two days ago we were informed by our matcha producer that our shipment in transit ( a VERY crucial inventory replenishment) that was traveling from Japan to us Portland, OR was caught in customs due to the severe tariffs increase and change in customs regulation standards that were enacted by the American President on Monday. This substantial shift in international trade with China, Canada, and Mexico is affecting ALL incoming international shipments as all products currently being processed must now be reevaluated and most of them re-taxed. As you can imagine, this is throwing all customs ports into disarray as there queues of packages now must be re-processed.
Our precious delivery of matcha has been caught up in the chaos. We have made efforts on both the Japanese and US side to find a resolution and identify a ETA, but no one can provide any solid answers. We are all walking into unknown territory. We hope to be back to regular programming next week.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE FREAKS?
We currently have a mass stock of CEREMONIAL MATCHA, but are completely out of the Premium Matcha until the shipment arrives. All orders of only ceremonial matcha will be shipped within 2- 3 business days of the order being placed. Pending orders with ceremonial matcha along with other items, will start to receive partial shipments starting today, March 6th. The Premium Matcha products will be sent out by next week, if not sooner.
If you would like to exchange your pending Premium Matcha tin or bag order for Ceremonial Matcha tin for no additional cost or you would like to cancel your order, please fill out this form: MATCHA FREAK PRODUCT EXCHANGE & REFUND FORM
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR WHOLESALE?
This is the part that induces wild anxiety in me… because our WHOLESALE family is what keeps the light on and those sales are how we can keep our consumer product prices low. The large monthly purchases keep inventory and money flowing.
Unfortunately and devastatingly, we are sold out of WHOLESALE MATCHA until the product lands. This is going to affect so many small businesses ability to capture sales and will negatively affect their operational flow. I am sincerely sorry for temporarily not being able to fulfill your orders. If you would like to cancel a pending order, email hello@matchafreak.com. Your pending orders will be the first to go out when the product arrives, as is our policy.
I appreciate your support and patience as we navigate this together.
HOW COME YOU LET INVENTORY GET SO LOW?
In the first 2 months of this year, we experienced a 60% in sales across the board. We have been working real hard to stabilize inventory during this wild growth period, but there was no way to anticipate such a substantial increase. If the package landed on time, as scheduled and planned by both US and Japanese partners, we would not be here. We run a very efficient and cash fluid operation, we do not want to be sitting on inventory for more than 30-60 days. The most ironic part is MARCH inventory is set up to be our biggest and comfiest month ever by far. We are investing a ton of cash money into building it up and stabilizing… and it was all supposed to start with this first order. And so goes the world of a small business owner when it is turned upside down 🙃.
We just have to get through this week of wild unknowns and then we will rebounding from being in the red to swimming in that sweet GREEN 💚 in no time 💫!
I am sharing this all with you because we are a transparent international small business that is being heavily affected by the international trade climate. And honesty is the only path I see that will lead us forward.
I promise that as uncontrollable circumstances arise, we will always do our diligence of learning how to stabilize and pivot as best we can with the resources we have on hand and plan where we can to avoid these vulnerabilities in the future.
This is going to have a negative financial impact on the business for many reasons. And we are one of thousands of small businesses that will be directly impacted by these new economic policies.
What I ask is that you find ways to support your community driven small businesses — especially food businesses. They are the most vulnerable and are also owned by the most vulnerable populations… women, people of color, economically disadvantaged folx. They are also what hold our communities together. They literally and metaphorically nourish us.
So spend wisely, freaks. Your dollars have the greatest impact in times like these.
Thank you for being here. I’ll be in your inboxes soon with an update when we have it.
LOVE YOU 4 EVER!
xoxo,
Katy
