If you are like me, during your stitching career you have ordered something from a shop they didn't have in stock, then waited and waited for it to come in. I once waited six weeks for a piece of silk gauze I was told should be there in a month, then when I contacted the shop for an estimate of the arrival date, they told me they hadn't actually placed the order yet because they couldn't order from that manufacturer unless they met the minimum order dollar amount. They were waiting until they had enough things on their Wish List to place an order. This happens enough to stitchers that I see a weekly posting on Needlepoint Nation that says something like "Would any shop that has this in stock contact me?" Stitchers have been burned enough that they try to find the item they desire from anyone before they place an order with their local shop and end up waiting until they barely remember what they ordered. Ever wonder why businesses are run this way? Tricia gives us a glimpse of the business thinking behind this behavior.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-dreaded-backorder-how.html
She also points out that the artisans who are the heart of this business are retiring, and not replacable.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-time-is-now-how-our-textile.html
UPDATE: Tricia talks about the death of one of her businesses, illustrating how the various forces operate on small companies that cater to the handwork elite.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2015/11/end-of-era-tokens-and-trifles.html
UPDATE #2: Kreinik is stocking up on the Tokens and Trifles items while they can.
http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2015/11/update-tokens-and-trifles-perforated.html
I have to tell you, when I see all the threads we have available today and then read the above, I am really worried about the future. Are we living in the last Golden Age of Needlepoint? But Tricia doesn't just worry, she has a proposal.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-kickstarter-for-historic-threads.html
UPDATE #3: Tricia was sent information about the wool industry that explains even more just how precarious needle art businesses are and the things that have to go right to give us our supplies.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-wool-industry.html
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright March 31, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
4 comments:
Wow. Fascinating and scary. Stash enhancement coming right up!
Amen!
I've noticed this with household fabric orders as well. The customer service angle deserves mention Jane. As you noted, it appears that the shop didn't tell you when you placed the order that the shop would need to wait to place their own order. Shops gain loyal customers when shops openly and honestly communicate with their customers. Let us know if it likely will take time and often we will be patient and wait - but tell us up front. :-)
Customer service does play a part in this. I would have happily waited if I had known it would be for an indeterminate time but when I placed the order I was told four weeks. Not four weeks after we actually order which we don't plan to do for a long time. I never special ordered anything else from them and pretty much stopped using the shop. It wasn't that convenient to get to, anyway, and has now closed when the owner sold it and the new owner moved away.
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