2021.03 Group Order to be DELAYED (Covid strikes again!)

Airmail connection cut!

This week I planned to open our first Group Order of 2021, but ahh crap! Covid strikes again!!! Airmail from Hong Kong to the UK has been suspended!!! 😩😩😩

Running these Group Orders relies on my friend in Hong Kong acting as the hub, receiving the goods and then forwarding them to me for distribution. (No, they won’t ship the goods directly to you guys from Hong Kong. They don’t care about anime goods and only help me several times a year as a favour. 🥵)

No shipping connection between the two locations = no Group Order…!

The service suspension began this month (!!), citing UK’s covid restrictions (all arrivals need to isolate for 10 days) and their impact further reducing the already low number of flights.

I checked HK’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific just now. During normal times, they’d have something like 10 direct flights from London Heathrow to HK. (Not counting the other London airports + other UK airports!!) Now there’s one flight from Heathrow, with 20 hours layover in Switzerland lol. 💩

But not a permanent cut

This service cut has thrown our plans out of the window, HOWEVER! It is not permanent, because the service was also suspended a few times in 2020 due to reduced flight schedule. (That’s why we had so few Group Orders last year eh 🙃)

I would like to HOPE that this airmail connection will return in April, as England will be lifting lockdown on 29 March 2021, then re-opening most shops and public spaces from 12 April.

Right now, nothing is certain though. I’m sure it will resume later, but when? Can only check the HK postal service periodically for news. 😞

What’s the plan now?

The 2021.03 Group Order is basically cancelled. 😐

No point in accepting orders or money if I don’t know WHEN I could deliver to you.

But what about all the new goods??? Stock will run low if we wait indefinitely!!

TRUE!

I am a little worried about the stock level of some sets, for example the Jujutsu Kaisen Nitotans. 🥵 When a popular new series get goods, stock can run low fast!

Group Order… Pre-order? 🤔

One option could be taking pre-orders from you guys on certain sets. (JJK nitotans, new HQ nitotans?)

I could secure those goods, send them to my friend’s for storage.

When airmail resumes, I can then open a proper Group Order and invoice people for their full order (new goods + pre-ordered goods).

I don’t like to accept money for pre-orders when the ETA is unspecified. And if I’m not accepting money in advance, I would only accept pre-orders from people I trust 🤨 (i.e. those of you who ordered before, answered emails/paid without problem).

Just throwing the idea out here~ I’ll ask on social media and see what y’all think!