I thought we’d give everyone a short update regarding the Coronavirus and its impact on our operation. We are still open for business although we are working from home, updating our web site and continuing to fill orders as expeditiously as possible. We have temporarily suspended all inbound shipments to us for the balance of March so that we can get a better sense of the impact the pandemic has on our business and the populace in general. We are filling orders as best we can and still accepting orders through our web site as well as our marketplace sites (Amazon and eBay). All of the major couriers (USPS, UPS and FedEx) have been deemed essential services, still picking up outbound orders from us in a rather routine fashion. We have temporarily done away with Prime and free shipping options on Amazon in favor of standard shipping, since the free shipping oftentimes requires us to hand deliver packages to Staples, our UPS drop-off location, before their final pick up of the day. That said, Staples sent out a notification earlier this week indicating they are closing their stores earlier than normal at 6pm, which means they cannot guarantee that the local UPS driver can make their daily pickups, which is typically scheduled for around 5:30pm.
New York has been adversely affected by the Coronavirus and New York City, where we are based, has been particularly hard hit over the last several weeks. Its still a mystery as to why we have been affected well out of proportion to the rest of the country, although the density and diversity of the city’s constituency could have something to do with it. On any given day, we can hear ambulance sirens wailing away on a regular basis as they attempt to respond to calls of distress. We are practicing social distancing as best we can and have been forced to make some changes to the way we operate so that we can still serve our clientele in an acceptable manner.
We also recognize that many of you have been frustrated of late, waiting for items you may have pre-ordered some time ago. With that in mind, I want to address that issue as best we can.
We sell collectibles — we do not make them, distribute them or in any way have a hand in getting product to market apart from shipping out said items as soon as they arrive at our facility. Its frustrating to have to repeatedly stress this point to everyone, particularly during this crisis. The outbreak of the Coronavirus has and will continue to have a huge impact on the supply chain. In many instances, factories in eastern Asia were shut down for weeks on end, their workers unable to report for work. When that happened, our forecasts for the arrival of certain lines went out the window. Fortunately, as we understand it, those factories hardest hit by the contagion are back up-and-running with few new cases of Coronavrius having been reported over the last several days. Apparently the drastic measures the Chinese government instituted seemed to have worked, an encouraging sign despite all of the hardships they had to face. Those very same measures are now being mandated here in New York, which has significantly hampered operations for a great many businesses.
For some reason, however, there are a handful of patrons that seem to think that the Coronavirus shouldn’t have an impact on our business and that we are simply sounding a false alarm, using the contagion as an excuse for the delay of certain items. If that were true, then other retailers would have in their possession the very same items that we are indicating haven’t arrived, and are therefore able to serve their clientele while we are unable to do the same. This is not the case. Period. Secondly, by placing an order early or paying in advance by using PayPal or AmazonPay, it does not mean you somehow move to the front of the line and get the product quicker than someone that followed our directions. In point of fact, we have always indicated that the best way to pre-order an item is to use a credit card. By doing so, you are not being charged until the item comes in and ready to go out. I’m not at all sure why this seems to be a recurring problem for us, especially at the height of the pandemic. I can certainly understand your frustration for having to wait a lengthy period of time, but if you just took the time to read our First-Time User information or examined the product’s listing, most of these concerns could be addressed from the get-go, without ruffling any feathers or fraying any exposed nerves.
To sum up, we certainly appreciate your business and hope you understand that these are trying times for us, our neighbors, local community and nation as a whole. We ask that you be patient as everyone does their best to address the pandemic as best as they could. Making unnecessary assumptions or presuming that nothing is happening at our end does not help. If you cannot wait, take up crocheting, watch a movie or give your loved ones a call. That would be productive for any number of reasons.
Since opening our doors in 2000, we’ve been through 9-11, Hurricane Sandy and now the Coronavirus. I have every confidence in the world that we will get through this latest problem. I even see the light at the end of tunnel despite having to presently navigate through our darkest days. After all, New Yorkers are a hearty people despite what some people might think of us because of our brusque manner. But to have to address utter silliness and impatience during this latest issue to have befallen New York is simply unacceptable. There you have it. Blunt and to the point. A true New Yorker. Thank you.