Behind the Scents February: The Great (Dis)continuation
THE LOWDOWN ON THE DISCONTINUATIONS
You've probably seen the sale by now (and if you're subscribed to our newsletter, you've already been notified), but if you're still in the dark, we're in the middle of our biggest product discontinuation in the history of this little company! And if one of your favorite products are affected, you're probably wondering why we've decided not to make it any longer. The short answer is "the supply chain is no longer supportive". But the longer answer is, well, "the supply chain is no longer supportive". Let's dive in, shall we?
SUPPLY, SUPPLY, AND A LITTLE MORE SUPPLY
When Soap Distillery first launched our Hand and Body Washes, our Multipurpose Balms (formerly Hand Balms), Body Scrub Bars, and En Provence scent line, there were a myriad of ingredients that were readily available to us at fair prices and reasonable ordering lead times. The ingredients were integral to how well the product functioned, whether it provided preferred textures, skin feel, or a standout scent. This doesn't even go back to the beginning; even just three years ago, this statement would have held true.
However, there has been a seismic shift with regard to availability as suppliers trim down bloated catalogs to have better control over tariff charges, which means that there are ingredients that we use that can no longer be purchased. These same ingredients are the reasons why these products get the high ratings that they get, so they are very important to us because they are important for your product enjoyment. For the ingredients that CAN still be purchased, the purchase price is sometimes 200 - 300% higher than it was when we set our original pricing.
We pride ourselves on selling affordable luxury, so it doesn't feel right to continue to increase the pricing on these items. Our multipurpose balms should cost about $35. The wash should be $28...those are big jumps! So, we had to make the decision to move on for now, and hopefully reformulate in due time. For now, you can take advantage of our sale and stock up on your favorites while you can. If you wanna read more about supply chains and such, check out this blog post about why our supply chains matter.
WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON
Of course, even though our store is changing a bit, it doesn't mean that we're not working on something new! I've been putting a hyperfocus on blending up some new fragrances and testing is going extremely well. That bodes well for what summer might bring!
Long time customers may remember that March is Customer Appreciation Month and we always go HARD. This March isn't going to be any different! We're working to bring back a limited run of two fragrances from the vault, AND you'll see a former Distiller's Series Bar Soap get added to the product line for good...
Along with that, April is Earth Month and if you think that we've forgotten about that then you'd be wrong. The next few months are looking massive for us, so stay tuned! For now, make sure to check out my favorite citrusy picks since winter is citrus season, and citrus has been scientifically proven to uplift moods and provide a little sunshine in the shower. 🌞💦
What do you think is coming back? 👀😮👀 Lemme know in the comments!