I wanted to write you a note that is in keeping with the times and gives you some news from behind the scenes of Béké-Bobo during these last few months...
Since March 16, I have been going through a range of emotions. In the early days, I thought the pandemic would wipe out the 20 years I had invested in my business. I was really scared.
After a few days, we started making masks following a request from our MRC. Our seamstresses have made over 16,000 masks to date. Thanks to this pivot, I was able to keep everyone working. A great source of pride for me who loves my fabulous team!
I felt such a relief when I started receiving your online orders on my phone. It was like a tsunami of love and support. I can't thank you enough. I had to work over 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to make sure I processed all the orders as they came in. For 10 weeks, it was Christmas every day.
We had a 560% increase in our online sales between March 16 and May 31. This also came with a shipping issue. For the first time in 20 years, I had to deal with numerous complaints because even though we processed orders in less than 24 hours, they were stuck in Canada Post trucks and sometimes took over a month to reach our customers. This situation kept me awake several nights. I thank everyone who was understanding and who did not insult me for a situation over which my team and I had no control.
To cope with the increase in our online sales, I hired when the unemployment rate was at an all-time high in Quebec. That's how the beautiful Sabrina joined our production team. 15 ladies at home supported us for a few weeks to produce the masks in addition to our usual seamstresses.
Last month we were finally able to put online our new website which we have been working on for several months.
Also in June, we moved the workshop to new, much larger premises in order to increase our production to meet international demand.
As you can see, things are moving at Béké-Bobo!
Thanks again for all your love!
See you soon,
– Maggy ♡
