Here’s the nitty gritty:
I hope you’ve been hanging in there through this historical time in public health and mutual care. It has also affected the economy and everywhere you look, changes abound for all of us. Some are unexpected and some overdue. In distribution, many raw materials have been discontinued or increased in pricing, so we’ve reformulated a few things (you can always look at Additional Information in each listing on our website for the most current information), and adjusted our prices accordingly and minimally. We recalculate each year, so IF cost of goods comes back down, you can rest assured that the price of each product will come down as well.
As you might have already noticed, we were unexpectedly forced to move due to some utility issues at our former location. We’re pretty happy with our new location – still not a retail storefront – in East Liberty that is well-equipped to house our business for many years to come (see photos). It’s also somewhere I personally WANT to be. It increases our overhead costs and because of this, I am grateful to have paid off debts as the pandemic began because they are racking up again slowly but surely.
And now, a rebranding is clearly imminent. The decision was not an easy one, as we sought to remain transparent and create more distinction as the meaning of the terms in our previous business name have shifted over time. We feel like “Trail Botanica” will help us better connect with our outdoor-oriented target audience while encompassing everything our business does and will do in the future. At this time, our Trail Botanica LLC and website domain trailbotanica.com are registered, insurance and commercial lease updated, and other traces of our Apothecary Muse identity will be replaced over time.
Our values [vegan and zero waste], ingredients, product and shipping packaging will remain mostly unchanged, but the logo and name will be updated. I’ll also be adding some new products, but for the most part – it will remain in the category of Adventure Skincare and accessories. Our existing website content and shop has just been (professionally) redirected to the newly hosted domain trailbotanica.com so you can update your bookmarks. All our socials will be changed to the new brand name once we have our professionally designed logo completed and if you already follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you will come along for the ride and you’ll automatically see our posts/tags become labeled as Trail Botanica. It’s still us – no need to unfollow or follow new accounts unless you don’t already. At least that’s the plan.
We’re mentioning it because we don’t want you to be a stranger! In fact, we are crossing our fingers that we don’t get buried in the algorithm as folks scroll past us in their feed or inbox, not recognizing the new name. If you want to help secure the transition, liking, commenting, sharing and saving posts really helps maintain engagement. Our goal is to have everything coming out of our new studio branded as Trail Botanica by January 1, 2022 while continuing to provide the same quality of products and level of customer service. Products in retail stores around the country will continue to be sold as originally packaged, but new product will come with the new logo and name as the retailer restocks in 2022, so you might see them side by side on shelves but they will look very similar in color and shape otherwise. Please bear with us as we navigate these unexpected challenges during an especially difficult time with the pandemic still affecting everyone and everyday operations.
Be safe, be kind to each other and keep hanging in there!
Sincerely,
Eryn Hughes
Owner of Apothecary Muse and Trail Botanica
