The world has started creaking back into action over the last few weeks, and almost everybody I've seen has asked the same question: "Is Kalinko going to be ok?"
Firstly, to all of you who have asked, thank you so much for asking. Anybody that runs a small brand knows how amazing it is when people care about what you're doing. It is incredibly bolstering to know quite how supportive our customer base is, and how concerned so many of you are about what happens next.
So for the sake of anybody who is interested, and isn't in the tiny cohort of people I've seen since we all emerged from our chrysalises, here is the answer.
Yes. We're going to be absolutely fine.
For anybody new to the brand, or if you haven't been following, we, like the rest of the world, had our globe pushed off its axis by covid, and have been adapting to the various challenges that has posed for us. However, for Kalinko, it's really the military coup which took place in Burma on 1st February which sent the world of our team and makers bouncing far out of the Milky Way. Absolutely nobody knows where it is heading to; not the people of Burma, not the social scientists, not the political experts, not even the military commanders who kicked the whole thing off.
But we do know this: as long as we can get money into the country to pay for products and salaries, and as long as we can get those products out of Burma to our warehouse in the UK, we're going to be fine.
Following months of hiatus, as of about four weeks ago, both of these are possible again, and starting in about two weeks' time when our container arrives in the UK, we should be fully back in action.
If you're planning to buy anything for your home, any wedding presents, anything for anybody else over the next few weeks, STOP. Have a look at what we've got coming. Could what you need be in our container? If it is, pop your name down in the Back in Stock link, and you'll be the first to know when it arrives.
And for your entertainment and general knowledge, specifically in the field of ocean freight, here is a nice infographic of the difference in price for shipping said box from Yangon to the UK since covid. This is actually totally precise. In monetary terms, the cost has gone from £1,200 per container, to £12,000 per container. Yup - a 900% increase. Now that, my friends, is a challenge. Any answers on how to get round this one would be greatly appreciated... thanks.
