The transition to wholesale/CPG has been really rewarding and energizing for us. We’re able to use a totally different side of our brain that we had shut off for the last couple of years and also make a lot of amazing B2B connections. In addition, by focusing on product, we’ve been able to think about and touch every aspect of the supply chain (from where we get our raw ingredients, our packaging, and even our distribution). Of course, the change in business model has also come with unique challenges and hard lessons. We wanted to share a few of these with you!
Capturing “The Experience”
If you ever stepped into Queens, it was (we’d like to believe) always a vibe. From the ambience, decor, music blaring, and the smells of ferments/savory pancakes wafting through the long hallway, there was nothing like Queens on a sunny Saturday in the Inner Sunset. Now that our products live on static websites and sit atop of shelves, we’re constantly thinking about how to inject that same energy and create an experience that make customers reminisce about the superette or give an idea to new customers of what Queens used to be.
Theres a Cost for Everything
Adding to that point of creating the Queens “experience,” we learned how quickly costs can add up trying to do so. First off, no one wants broken glass, so we’ve had to figure out and purchase appropriate boxes and packing material. We apply a Queens branded packing tape with additional stickers when necessary that read: “fragile”, “perishable”, “keep refrigerated.” Our jars need to stand out in stores, so we designed new jars; our old labels would start bubbling, so we invested in new high quality labels that withstood condensation in the fridge.
Maintaining Quality
It has been such a joy to see our products in stores across the city, state, and even country! However, being perfectionists that we are, it’s been hard for us to see a slightly crooked label or a lid that may have a slight imperfection from the shipping. It really is soul crushing. In the past we could control the positioning of the product and/or how it’s sold to a customer, but now we just do the best that we can to make sure that every product sold is a good representation of our high standards!
Getting Attention!
With a storefront, it was much easier to get customers old and new to step in and purchase products. There was a lot more content that we could push on our social media such as new products, customer photos of the cafe menu, the space, etc. But it’s been a new challenge to figure out what storytelling on our social media, newsletters, and website looks like. Stay tuned for more on this, but for now please bear with our emails and instagram stories of discounts, promo codes, etc.
But speaking of promo codes, use DRYJAN for 15% off orders ;)