Buy Online, Pick up In Shop

Over the past month, I've asked you to e-mail me to tell me how to serve you better. I've received some wonderful feedback and I'm starting to already implement these improvements. I promised that the first half of this year I'm focusing on all the ways I can continue to make SSYC your yarn shop, and I look forward to sharing all the ways we are growing and changing to serve you better as our 14th anniversary approaches this summer.

Already this year, you may have noticed that we have made several update to our website. While most of the changes are on the admin end, you may have noticed that our images load oh-so-much faster. Another change you may have seen is the simplified Check Out. It's one page instead of several, so it's so much quicker. And if you create an account, your info will continued to be saved and you can see past orders and Wish Lists (more on Wish List improvements coming in March).

One request is that we have more in-store hours so that all can come shop in person more often. For the past seven years we have been open one day a week. Before that, we weren't open to the public at all. While we still are not going to be able to offer more in-person shopping hours, we can make it easier for you to buy your items online and pickup at the shop. For years, you've been able to buy yarn online and at Check Out choose In Store Pickup and drop by on our open days to get your stuff and avoid the shipping fee. Now, we are able to allow you to pickup your local orders every day we are there working (except Sunday and days surrounding holidays). That's right- If you are local, or are just passing through, and you need a set of needles or a skein of yarn the next day, you can come by and grab it at 11am!

There are a few tips though, and you can always find them here on the website too:

1. Choose the In Store Pickup option at Check Out (you aren't charged a shipping fee)
2. In the "Order Comments" field, type the day you'll be picking up the yarn so we know to listen for your loud knock on the shipping doors.
3. If you order before 11am, please don't expect that you'll be able to pick up the same day. We need 24 business hours (and longer over Holidays) to pickup. If you have questions, just e-mail service@simplysockyarn.com as usual. Also e-mail if you forget to put your date of pickup in that field, or if you can't make it to the shop afterall.
4. Show up at 11am on the date you selected (or on any of our open days inside the shop) to pick up your goodies. Just knock loudly on the orange double doors on the parking lot side, and we will pass you your pretty package so you can get knitting! Right now we can only do 11am pickups, but that could change in the future if there's enough interest.
5. If you have questions, just e-mail. And if it's around a holiday, we do take time off to be with our families. So please assume that the days before and after holidays, days when the weather is so bad that school is delayed or canceled, and on any Sunday that pickup is not an option.
6. Please do not ask us to come in and shop, color compare, or look for something. We can't. We have certain things that have to get done at certain times to make the online portion of the shop work efficiently, and because that's what keeps us open for everyone to enjoy, we won't do anything that jeopardizes that flow. We just don't have extra staff to man the shop, answer project questions, watch for shoplifters, etc. Please don't ask, because we have to say no and it make us all sad to disappoint.

I think all this stuff is common sense, but I think it's always a good idea to list it out. We are all human and make mistakes and have questions. Just order online, choose in store pickup and give us a date (not the same day or holiday or Sunday), and knock loudly on the orange double doors at 11am. This won't work for everyone's schedule, but I'm told it's a fab idea that works for many!

Comments

[SUELLYN]

Wow - that's a generous improvement! Thank you!!

[Donna]

I agree with Suellyn that it’s a generous offer. As someone who’ll never take you up on it, I appreciate that you’re still prioritizing online business.

[Janet]

SSYC is the best online store for sock enthusiasts. I appreciate that you have kept your focus on sock yarns. I used to shop some other stores that moved away from their commitment to sock yarn and added fabrics, quilting, and other fiber arts. Which is fine, but the sock yarn suffered for it. I always recommend SSYC to my fellow sock knitters looking for the best selection of yarns and excellent customer service.

[Allison]

Glad to hear it, thank you!
Yes, our online supporters are the reason we are still thriving after 13 years and we greatly appreciate that. We love being open to the public and sharing SSYC in person, but it's important for me to spend our time and money on ways to affect our online supporters. Like offering really personal service/help via e-mail, spending time on social media and connecting virtually, and constantly increasing our inventory and offerings that everyone can enjoy. And when I get to a point that we can do all that and also add another shop-open day, I will. But we aren't there and I have to focus on what keeps our doors open! I'm glad this change is appreciated and I look forward to more changes in the future as we continue to grow.

And yes, we will continue to focus on sock yarns while adding more and more and also easy care yarns as you can see. I don't see a need for us to grow too large and forget our market and what made us and continues to make us. I like that we are still a small staff that focuses on a narrow part of the yarn market, and hopefully doing it really well.