covid-19 updates
Since our team was allowed to return to work, they have been working weekends to make up for lost time. We are just about there! But even as we are successfully catching up on our production schedule, we still anticipate some delays due to unforeseen vendor partner shortages, delays and misinformation.
By design, R&T has a zillion moving parts, and as Covid hit it became almost impossible to track all those deliverable elements and how they were effecting us and most importantly how they would unknowingly effect us down the line. We rely heavily on our daily local and international deliveries to re-supply all those zillion parts on schedule. And overnight that schedule became unreliable.
Even as we were being told by most vendors that they would still be reliable, we were realizing that they also were not absorbing the full scope of what all of us in the supply chain were facing. It seemed hopeful at first but as time went on, our vendors began to admit that they were struggling. They are so on our side, and are often paying extra to get that leather on an overnight plane ride for us.
It breaks my heart to see our team working so hard to have a hundred perfect bags land at the final step just in time for a dozen of them to wait some more! Often there is just one of the many details on a given bag that has been delayed.
I am so grateful to my staff for not shying away from this sometimes daunting task of regrouping. We want to do better, and we have learned so much in the last six months, that will only make us better. And I am beyond grateful to our fans for showing up for us in so many amazing ways.
The client services team will continue to diligently reach out to customers who have possible delays by finding the best possible solution by exploring optional leather possiblities, style changes or sharing extra production information.
Thank you for your understanding,
Made in Maine one of a kind one at a time.
*The most recent update to shipping is 2-4 weeks for the website in production items, and approximately 8-10 plus weeks for custom designs.
*Due to COVID-19, many companies across the country are experiencing mail carrier delays as well, R&T included.