Well, the first month of 2019 went by like a flash. January is a great time to look back and review how we did last year and plan for the coming year.
With great appreciation to all of our customers, at Skipping Stone Soap we had a very busy year last year. We have shipped our handmade soaps and shampoo bars to 23 countries. We welcomed several new retail partners in Toronto and Muskoka. We've switched from regular bubble mailer to non-plastic padded mailer for the majority of the online sales packaging. We continued to improve our products with a better formula, higher quality ingredients and updated packaging.
For this year, starting today, all our products have new prices due to the increased cost of ingredients, shipping, operation and production. We are confident that our soaps are still far superior to similarly priced products on the market and we take every effort to reduce the cost while maintaining the quality of service and products our customers expect from us.
Also this year, we are planning to eliminate the use of palm oil entirely. The palm oil industry is still growing by destroying the rainforest in Southeast Asia and affecting the habitats of endangered species such as orangutans. Our motto is to make soap products that won't affect the environment negatively so for that reason we will not buy any more palm oil and palm oil derived ingredients.
Some new products are on their way and we are excited to introduce them soon and hoping to do so more often throughout the year. As our name suggests, we are going to be more playful and experimental, and have some fun making new products!
I know it's not really any more "happy new year" season so let me wish you a Happy February! Cheers.
Masa