Keeping Stock in the Time of COVID
Frustrated that items you want to purchase from us are out of stock? We know the feeling…and can assure you that no one is more frustrated about it than US! So, we wanted to take a moment to be open, transparent, and honest about our current situation, and share what we’re doing to get these, and other products, back in our store as quickly as possible!
When we launched Dabble & Dollop in 2019, we made the decision be USA Made. Our ingredients are 100% US-sourced, our bottles are manufactured in Virginia, our pumps are made in Connecticut, even our temporary tattoos are made in San Diego. While many others source, or outsource, components from China and Southeast Asia, we felt being 100% American Made was not only the “right thing,” but also a smart business decision.
Enter COVID. Over the past 12 months, demand for personal care products has skyrocketed globally, while our manufacturing capacity, domestically, has been caught flat-footed. There has been a mass exodus of manufacturing from China back to North America. Companies that once ran at a fraction of their capacity, capacity that enabled a small brand like ours to fit into the “cracks,” are now being swamped by mass market brand and multi-nationals that have returned for safety, logistics and other concerns.
The result? The Dabble & Dollops of the world are getting pushed down the ladder.
Quick story: In August of 2020 we placed a purchase order for a key component needed to re-stock our Blueberry, Coconut, Honeydew and Lemon scents. We received a confirmation from the vendor stating it would be delivered on or around mid-March 2021! Stunned, we wrote back asking if that date was just some sort of legal “must be completed by” date that they had to put down for regulatory reasons. Our contact said flatly, “no, that’s literally the first chance we will have to produce them.”
We were floored. We were panicked. We were trapped. Without a realistic substitute we’ve been left to “watch the clock” as stocks dwindle to the point where we’ve now listed several offerings as (gasp) Out of Stock. We been able to hold back a small portion of each scent for our monthly Tub Club Subscribers, but that’s moving fast. Our Cherry on Top Conditioner, touted to launch in the Fall of 2020? It’s now similarly delayed – most likely launching in early April.
We’ve worked tirelessly seeking out additional suppliers and manufacturers with excess capacity. We’ve made hundreds of calls. We’ve had to beg and borrow (haven’t had to steal yet) to try and accelerate the process. But the reality is, everyone is in the same boat. We are all just waiting.
But we are getting closer and Spring is right around the corner. We appreciate all your support and furthermore, we appreciate your understanding. We vow never to be the company that keeps selling items we don’t have in stock – there will be no “order now and receive in 12 weeks from us!” But we also understand you have other choices. We are working daily to get our products back online and more than anything, we want to be the brand you grow to trust for your children’s bathing and personal care for years to come.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, never hesitate to reach out to us at info@dabbleanddollop.com. We’d love to hear from you.
