Whoa. I don't know about you, but I'm still feeling more than a little bit shell shocked after the whirlwind of 2021.
Lots of things happened in 2021. Good things, bad things, frustrating things, exciting things.... it was definitely a year of growth, though not exactly the growth that I was expecting.
In 2021 our store went from this:
To this:
We had many ups and downs with permitting delays, construction challenges, and even a kitchen fire.
Our store was completely transformed, and our team went through a lot of changes as well. I'll be the first to admit, with all of the uncertainty and long drawn out delays, this was a very difficult environment to work in, and while my team members have all been passionate about what we are doing and worked so hard to give Scoop their best, the hardships we experienced in 2021 definitely took their toll.
We are working hard to build systems and improve the overall shopping experience at Scoop and everyone on the team is dedicated to serving you with consistent excellence!
We launched a podcast, and introduced our Scoop Swap Box monthly subscription. We were also featured by King 5, Seattle Refined, 425 Magazine, and the Kirkland Reporter, just to name a few.
For more highlights and to get the behind the scenes version, take a listen to this podcast episode where I share more about our 2021 story. It's a little bit vulnerable, okay, a lot vulnerable, and this is definitely me showing up in the "messy middle" but I think it's important for people to know the realities of small business ownership, and it's important for other small business owners to hear my story and know that they aren't alone in the challenges that they face.
And since we're being vulnerable, I'm going to go ahead and say this:
We are having a difficult time making this business financially viable and we need your purchases to make this thing work.
If you want Scoop Marketplace and businesses like ours to continue to exist, it is very important that you make shopping with us a normal part of your routine and lifestyle.
Spread the word. Leave positive reviews. Share our story and social media posts with your community.
Shop online (in-store pick-up or carbon neutral shipping available nation-wide), or visit us in-store. Commit to supporting us monthly by subscribing to the Scoop Swap Box. Become a member and get a discount on every Scoop purchase for a year.
There are so many ways that you can support the work that we are doing!
Thank you for being part of our community. We are doing this for you, and quite literally could not do it without you.
All my best,
Stephanie