Project Update: Timeline Changes and other updates!
Good afternoon cuddle club members! I have one more big announcement for today!
I wanted to make this update sooner rather than later so we're all on the same page and all the most pertinent info is in one place.
With the insane amount of success this campaign has seen and the many new add-ons and designs, the timeline will be changed to reflect all the prototyping that needs to be done and the incredible amount of plushies that will need to be manufactured.
The original estimated ship date of February will now be moved to July-August which will give us lots of room to perfect each design, be it a plush or an accessory, as well as make sure you're receiving the highest quality plush possible.
As mentioned previously, I'm actively shopping around for the best fulfillment center to fit our needs. I've spoken to several people already-- some even have warehouses in various countries across the globe that would allow me to offer the cheapest possible shipping fees, especially to my international friends (and don't worry Canadians, I'm looking out for you as well!) More importantly though, this will cut down on shipping delays, errors, and other issues that could slow us down and (hopefully) compensate somewhat for the longer production timeline.
Why the need for such a long production timeline to begin with?
Prototyping can be slow, unfortunately, with each plush taking anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to fully develop and in some cases even longer. While we can work on some designs simultaneously and some are even perfect on the very first try, I know a project of this scale is still going to require a number of revisions .
The good news is most of the designs simply require a color change, which is (generally speaking) much faster than developing a plush from scratch.
Why can't you ship the finished designs first?
This comes down to cost. Consolidating orders and shipping all at once is cheaper than shipping several pallets at different times due to the huge amounts of space, labor, and time involved. I will discuss the logistics with the manufacturer and possibly begin the manufacturing process on some designs before others, but they will still likely all ship at once.
And finally a note on international shipping and the preorder store:
Because of the extended production timeline, the preorder store that opens in October will remain open for a longer period as well. The upside to this is, if we don't meet the 500k goal for the second run of Series 1 in the next 22 days, this gives us a lot more time to do so!
It will also ensure we have a visual on all the new designs so no one has to purchase a plush unseen and hope it comes out to their liking.
The preorder store will also offer international shipping. I am hoping to decide on a fulfillment center by then, which will allow me to put together more accurate shipping estimates for countries outside of North America.
Anyway, I tried to keep this as concise as possible and I hope it all makes sense! If you have any questions or concerns, I invite you to share them here. Even when I don't respond, I read every message and take your feedback to heart 💖
I wanted to make this update sooner rather than later so we're all on the same page and all the most pertinent info is in one place.
With the insane amount of success this campaign has seen and the many new add-ons and designs, the timeline will be changed to reflect all the prototyping that needs to be done and the incredible amount of plushies that will need to be manufactured.
The original estimated ship date of February will now be moved to July-August which will give us lots of room to perfect each design, be it a plush or an accessory, as well as make sure you're receiving the highest quality plush possible.
As mentioned previously, I'm actively shopping around for the best fulfillment center to fit our needs. I've spoken to several people already-- some even have warehouses in various countries across the globe that would allow me to offer the cheapest possible shipping fees, especially to my international friends (and don't worry Canadians, I'm looking out for you as well!) More importantly though, this will cut down on shipping delays, errors, and other issues that could slow us down and (hopefully) compensate somewhat for the longer production timeline.
Why the need for such a long production timeline to begin with?
Prototyping can be slow, unfortunately, with each plush taking anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to fully develop and in some cases even longer. While we can work on some designs simultaneously and some are even perfect on the very first try, I know a project of this scale is still going to require a number of revisions .
The good news is most of the designs simply require a color change, which is (generally speaking) much faster than developing a plush from scratch.
Why can't you ship the finished designs first?
This comes down to cost. Consolidating orders and shipping all at once is cheaper than shipping several pallets at different times due to the huge amounts of space, labor, and time involved. I will discuss the logistics with the manufacturer and possibly begin the manufacturing process on some designs before others, but they will still likely all ship at once.
And finally a note on international shipping and the preorder store:
Because of the extended production timeline, the preorder store that opens in October will remain open for a longer period as well. The upside to this is, if we don't meet the 500k goal for the second run of Series 1 in the next 22 days, this gives us a lot more time to do so!
It will also ensure we have a visual on all the new designs so no one has to purchase a plush unseen and hope it comes out to their liking.
The preorder store will also offer international shipping. I am hoping to decide on a fulfillment center by then, which will allow me to put together more accurate shipping estimates for countries outside of North America.
Anyway, I tried to keep this as concise as possible and I hope it all makes sense! If you have any questions or concerns, I invite you to share them here. Even when I don't respond, I read every message and take your feedback to heart 💖
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