We have some hard news for you, and we're just going to rip the bandage off: KMM & Co.'s prices have to change. We probably don't have to tell you that everything has gotten more expensive over the past few years. The supply chains that we rely on for leather, hardware, thread, and other supplies aren't immune to shipping delays, supply shortages, and price increases. And we've reached the point where we have to change the prices for our bestselling items.
In the interest of being honest and transparent with you, we want to tell you exactly why we have to increase our prices.
The prices that we pay for all of our most important supplies – not only all of the leathers we use, but also our copper and brass hardware, our thread, and even our shipping supplies – have gone up dramatically over the past year. Those price increases have ranged from 35 percent to 50 percent, and they've completely changed what it costs to make something like a tote bag or a mini tote. Unfortunately, we're not able to absorb these increases without changing our prices, too.
Effective 1 April, we're increasing the prices of our tote bags, mini totes, market totes, and crossbody bags. These are our most popular designs, and the ones most affected by the higher prices we need to pay for our supplies. We hate price increases as much as you do. It's understandable but always disappointing to have to pay more for the same leathers we've bought and loved for years!
But the good news is that because our prices are changing, nothing else has to. As you've likely seen from other leather goods brands, there are numerous ways to make a product cheaper. But we don't want to compromise on the quality of our materials, take shortcuts with our craftsmanship, or cut labor costs by outsourcing production or underpaying staff. Many of our competitors have made some or all of those concessions in the face of rising costs and shrinking margins.
But because our prices are going up, our products are staying the same. Every KMM & Co. bag will continue to be handmade and made to order in our Atlanta studio. Each one will continue to be handcrafted out of the very best full-grain leather, by a team who absolutely loves what we do. We think that it's such a privilege to make leather goods this way, and we're so grateful that you make all of this possible.
There's another silver lining in this storm cloud – one that we're really excited about and think that you might like to hear about, too. Increasing our prices widens the range of tanneries we can work with when sourcing leather. That means that many more varieties of full-grain leathers are now available to us, and we're already planning to test out new suppliers. That means that later this year, you can expect new colors and types of leather, something we always love here at KMM & Co.
All of this is just to say that while it's never our first choice to increase our prices, some changes are unavoidable. We've chosen to stay focused on making heirloom-quality leathers goods right here in the United States, rather than compromising on materials or craftsmanship. This was a hard decision, and one that you may be disappointed to hear about. But we feel that we owe it to you, the people who make KMM & Co. possible, to tell you what's going on.
As always, we appreciate your support and welcome your questions. You're the people who make it possible for us to spend our days making handcrafted leather goods, and we're always so grateful for that. Please reach out to hello@kmmco.com anytime: We'd love to hear from you. Though we're not excited about changing our prices, we *are* excited about all the things to come, and we hope that you'll stick with us for the ride.