We get it. Most of us can't afford the sort of $10,000 price tag for a pair of St Laurent rhinestone slouch boots circa 2017. Piggy banks are being emptied throughout the land and many not for the fun things like rhinestones and holidays - it's for paying gas bills and doing a shop to feed the family.
We also know that though many of our customers bling for fun, for the vast majority you are making a living out of your art. From Mums keeping their children in competition to independent costumiers and crafters, to circuses, dance companies and film studios creating blockbusters - the price matters.
We are all feeling the pinch. Brexit had a huge impact on European markets, but the pandemic seems to have multiplied all manner of cost increases. ALL our manufacturers have hiked their prices - Preciosa three times in a year - thanks to global events and extreme rises in the costs of raw materials, services, production, energy and transport. That's before staffing and cost of living increases.
Being a conscientious small business we look after people. Proper living wages and work-life balance - and striving to give our clients and customers the greatest quality at the best value at all times. One of the ways we do this is by NOT passing on a blanket rise in the cost of products. We maintain excellent stock levels (availability and backorders permitting!!) and will only increase the costs of items when we start to pay the increased cost ourselves. We will wait until we have to, not "cash in".
It would be much simpler for us as a business to simply sell factory packs, or to reduce the small pack sizes. That's not what we are about. We will happily provide a production company with 3,000 factory packs in one order as we will provide someone with a handful of individual sew-on stones. We continue to sell gross packs so you get 144 stones per pack rather than most retailers with packs of 100, working out as you having a little more "bling for your buck" as it were.
So you can rely on us to continue to do what we can to be the most competitive supplier of sparkle and provide service with a smile. May you never be without either x
