Dear Patrick James Customers,
I want to thank all of you for your loyalty and support over the past 14 months as we’ve all struggled with either the direct effects or the residual fallout from the pandemic. We’ve been forced to make some very tough decisions for our business, but I’m confident we’ll emerge from these challenging times stronger and more in tune with our client’s lifestyle than ever.
I do want to apologize and explain to you some of the challenges our industry has faced that may have caused delays in shipping product to you during this time period. I don’t believe in making excuses, but I think it’s important to peel back the curtain a little bit and let you know what we’ve been facing.
- Fabric mill closures and/or suspension of business.
- Manufacturer closures and/or suspension of business
- Shipping delays caused by container shortages, lack of room on shipping vessels.
- Congestion all up and down the shipping logistics pipeline
- Space for airing goods in has risen 4x
I’m still passionate about curating and mailing a large catalog. I love the tactile nature of it and the room it gives us to show many coordinating items and a variety of looks. The challenge is we buy the items for those books 6 months in advance and then the books are printed prior to 99% of our vendors being able to notify us of any shipping delays or damaged fabric issues. We were making improvements with our vendors on shipping and communication, but then the pandemic came along and the wheels came off for a lot of us.
Patrick James is committed to improving things to the best of our ability moving forward, but we do expect Fall 21 to have many of the same supply and logistics issues we’ve been experiencing with certain vendors. We will work on an individual basis to make you happy with any unexpected delays.
Again, thank you all for your loyalty and patronage. As a family business we aim to be your “local store”. You’re what makes us special and we want you looking sharp as you begin to venture out this Summer. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be of service.
All my Best,
Patrick Mon Pere
President
pmonpere@patrickjames.com