Feeling blue
Not duck egg blue or cerulean or anything remotely pretty, but plain old depressed, thanks to the news that my local cotton mill has raised the price of hopsack by 33% since June, thus effectively ruining the hot little line in international teatowel trade I was just getting off the ground.
Actually, the more I think about it, the less blue I feel and the more red I see.
PS: A couple of people have asked how this mad price increase came about. It seems that the mill has simply handed our electricity parastatal’s recent (and controversial) 34% price hike straight on to the customer.
ShareWorldLove
I had to laugh at the end. But don't worry. You have excellent designs and everyone who comes across it does too even if it means making your price a little – ity bit more. I'm sure you'll come up maybe with an alternative? Love your blog by the way and your designs.Julia
Jane Flanagan
Oh no… that's just horrible. You've been going fro strength to strength but this is such a huge increase!
Dee Beale
That's a real bummer, I'm sure your creative brain will find a solution but curious as to why such a hike?
michelle
Craptacular. But I agree with Dee Beale – you will find a solution soon enough. Or a solution will come to you. Give it a bit of time and try focussing on other creative projects.
findingfabulous
so sorry – that's an absurd increase all at one time! i would be seeing red too –
raquel raney
oh no love. i am soo sorry.
arounna
wow – that is quite an increase – hopefully you'll find something similar?
Prue
I was thinking of making some tea towels but I want to go for linen. Why did you choose hopsack (which I presume is cotton…)?
Francesca
oh heather, that's crap news. 33%?! that's ridiculous. they will lose customers, surely. can you up your prices a bit? i've always thought they were very good value anyway. but maybe that still won't cover 33%.hope you find a solution. x
ibb
A 34% increise!Don´t know what to say.As Francesca sais maybe should rise a bit the price of teatowels while finding other ways to buy cheaper.
strikk handknits
hmm – maybe time to look further afield (so to speak) for cotton. seems sa govt. intent on driving local manufacture into the ground…and that's my rant for the day! hope it works out. let me know if you need some sourcing on this side.
Jacqui
That's pretty cheeky of them considering that a 34% price hike in electricity would be unlikely to equate to the same increase in the cost of producing the fabric as a whole. I hope for my sake as a potential international tea-towel buyer that they realise the error of their ways. And the electricity companies too. Ours in NZ are about to be more regulated again after a decade or so of having their way with us consumers. The joys of selling off your infrastructure…
Heather Moore
Thanks, everyone, for your very kind and supportive comments. I like Michelle's comment about focusing on other creative projects and a solution might come. I do kind of feel that a break in the momentum wave I've been riding might not be all bad, as my business has grown so quickly, I've just kind of gone with what's happening.But I will be looking out for other suppliers, and do appreciate your offer of help with sourcing, Strikk! I'm so keen to remain a person who buys local, but will have to see if that is a practical choice.Prue, I chose to use hopsack as it's more affordable than linen, does a great job as tea towel fabric, and is produced by a cotton mill here in Cape Town. It has nice texture and weight and is (or has been) exactly what I needed. Good luck with your tea towels!
Prue
Good to hear your reasoning on choosing hopsack Heather. Thanks. I'm not sure what we make locally here – I might have to investigate that. Certainly we do have cotton growing here in NSW, but I'm not sure we're too big on linen production.
beatnik
Wow Heather, I am shocked, especially considering the economic environment. I hope that they come back down to reality. x
TheDecoDetective
Have you talked to them? Tell them that you're planning on getting huge in tea towels and if they give you a discount they'll earn more in the end than if you take your business elsewhere!Good luck!
orange you lucky!
That's a bummer.You are a foxy smart girl… I'm sure that everything will come up 'Heather'!
Pattern and Perspective
I'm sure you'll figure it out. Stinks though.