Julie's Updates

May 3rd DERBY DAY

Hoping you all enjoyed the festivities yesterday! Love to see the long shots win.

Milk Street Baby is going strong with new lines selling well.

Sending thanks to those stores that believed in us!

You are the difference.

Timely course of action for sure.

Imported goods will be going up making our USA prices very attractive.

Blessing to everyone and happy spring.

MOVING IN TO 2025 WITH NEW LINES !!!!

DECEMBER 13, 2024

Hello and Happy Holidays to all!

As you know we are moving in many directions as we head into 2025.

After much thought and trepedation, we have decided that it is time to begin to wind down production on TRUE, CAMEO, and RELIC. They have had a great life but finishes and the factories that produced them for us are just not the same. Over the next year we will sell through the stock we have and bring in two new import lines along side our four incredible USA lies.

We have lots of stock left which should take us through the next 8-12 months, but just wanted to give you all a heads up on this big change.

Any questions reach out to customerservice@milkstreetbaby.com

CHEERS!

julie

August 9, 2024

Hello all-

It has been a long long two years of reworking and rethinking what we do.

As of Oct 1 we will be taking orders for our new MILK STREET USA line.

If you have an interest, please reach out to me directly. We will be holding a private showing the last week of September to a select few.

Exciting. Beautiful. Exclusive.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Looking forward to reconnecting.

UPDATE ON SHIPPING CONDITIONS JUNE 9 2022

Analyzing the outlook of the trans-Pacific market is a daunting task for anyone. Many conditions come into play when trying to determine the direction of the trans-Pacific market for 2022: inflation, continued COVID lockdowns/slowdowns, war, port labor talks, congestion, equipment issues, non-alliance charter vessels etc. There is truly no precedent for reference in the logistics industry history.

Scenario #1: continued strength of US consumers. “An S&P Global analysis of import volumes suggests it could be a few years before a pre-pandemic balance between goods and services spending is restored. Until then, according to the analysis, containerized import volumes will remain elevated, resulting in ongoing pressure on port flow, trucking capacity, chassis supply, and distribution centers.” (JOC ) This opinion supports the notion that the re-opening of China following the recent COVID shutdowns will release a new wave of imports that will reverse the limited progress made in port flow. Ocean carrier sources report that their big customers are telling them to expect strong volumes through early 2023. For that reason, many believe that the COVID-19 lockdowns in China will lead to only a temporary drop in imports, but that will be followed by another surge in the summer that will revive the backups seen throughout much of 2021. The Shanghai reopening, in combination with an early peak season, could lead to a worsening of the bottlenecks. This would be further exacerbated if US West Coast ports experience a slowdown or strike. This case would lend itself to a repeat of the 2021 supply chain problems and record-high spike in spot rates.

Scenario #2: growing caution about the strength of the US consumer spending that drives containerized imports. The greatest risk to US consumer spending is inflation. If it remains elevated, the result will be a decline in purchasing activity- directly impacting freight import volume. Many US importers accelerated timelines to bring product in ahead of USWC longshore labor talks, leading some to assert that the surge is on its last legs with an abrupt decline looming. Skyrocketing energy prices and inflation coupled with a change in the consumer spending pattern could lead to a drastic drop in demand and ultimately freight rates

Obviously, everyone would like clarity on which of these two scenarios will become our reality. Unfortunately, it may be a little bit before we can gain that clarity. With a strong peak season, the shift to “normal” will delay until 2023. However, a sharp decline in consumer spending could begin the shift to “normal” over the next few months. As a note of caution, however, this process of returning to normality could likely take a year of more to complete.

From our Freigh Forwarder GULF STREAM

Credit Card Payments

We now require a credit card payment at checkout when placing your orders with Milk Street Baby. All stores will need to use a credit card to submit a furniture order at the time the order is placed.

Thank you,
Milk Street Baby

"Driving Traffic to your partner stores and increasing brand awareness nationally should be your top priority this month." - Shelby Kennedy (PP)

It has been a bit since the last industry update but I know that we have all been experiencing the challenges first hand! Please see below for a recent update from our freight forwarder:

Forecasts indicate no immediate relief from vessel bunching and the ongoing congestion that ports have faced over the last 16 months. Contrary to the normally slack period following holiday shipments, US retailers are projecting strong year-over-year import growth in the coming months. While the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have contended with the most extreme cases of vessel bunching, other ports are not immune. Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma, Savannah, and New York have all contended with the same issues over the past several months.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates just released projections showing US imports from Asia will increase 5.1% for November 2021 over November 2020, up 4.6% for December 2021, 9% for January 2022 and 7.3% for February 2022. While container lines are increasing capacity on Asia-US trade lanes by double-digit percentages, the persistent port congestion in Asia and the US is neutralizing the actual capacity available to shippers. Additionally, there have been terminal closures in Asia due to COVID-19 outbreaks, chassis shortages at the US ports, and inland rail hub congestion. The result is continued upward pressure on rates.

Experts are projecting that the supply/demand balance in ocean transportation is likely to remain skewed in favor of carriers until the end of 2022. The influx of new vessel capacity will likely be offset by the supply chain issues that continue to tie up capacity. The relief of the supply chain bottleneck that was originally slated for the second quarter of 2022 is now showing little sign of relief through most of 2022. Some freight commodities are being priced out of the ocean transportation market due to average freight rates having risen over 126% from last year!

With the 2021/22 global ocean carrier profitability forecasted to hit an unimaginable $300 billion, we continue to monitor and have regular conversations with all our forwarders to put our partners in the most advantageous position given the current environment. It is difficult but we will get through it. Reach out if you have additional questions.

LABOR DAY SUCCESS! CONGRATS:)

So wonderful to see the sales from the weekend.

Just wanted to say, "thank you," for the support and faith in what we are doing. MIlk Street continues to improve our quality as well as our customer experience. We are bringing in containers every month so that we have plenty of stock for immediate shipping. As you well know, if we have the product available to ship out right away, you will make the sale. This stock position takes financial support from each of you. If you are not paying MIlk Street on time, you are jepordizing sales for all of us.

A few updates:

The items that are backordered,(Relic Hutch and Arch Crib in Cloud,) as well as the WInchester Crib in Fossil were expected to arrive around the 30th of this month. We found out last night that there is a 2 week delay. They will be here mid October to ship to you hopefully by the end of next month. Very sorry for this delay. Happy to reach out directly to any customers waiting for these three items.

Regarding replacements for defective or damaged items: Going forward, we require that we have pictures of the carton and outer packaging as well as the item. Many of the damages we are seeing are shipping related. While the carton may appear to be fine, if dropped on a corner or loaded upside down in the truck our cases will be damaged. To request a replacement or a credit, we must have the pictures of the carton.

That's it for now!

Greetings from Vietnam!

Mateo and I are in the factories this week reviewing all production. It is hot and humid beyond belief!

Milk Street Baby continues to improve! We are seeing excellent construction as well as clean finishing. As you know, we have changed our drawer glides as well as the undermount light systems for the better. Seeing consistency across the board! In terms of selling, the Cloud finish for our Relic Collection gets stronger by the day. That new Winchester crib is also a win! Just goes to show, when you offer something different, people want it. We know it can be risky, but it pleases me to say, "I knew it would sell!"

We have reached out to a several of you for feedback on sales; to find out what is and is not working. Feel free to shoot me an email and let me know how things are going.

Milk Street continue to open new stores and to gain momentum! Collabs with Rebecca Mader and Eva Shockey are set for September, both of these ladies have a nice following. Increasing brand awareness continues to be a big focus for us in order to drive sales to you.

Milk Street is shipping beautifully made product in less than expected lead times! We are finally there.

The Relic finish has changed slightly and it is now the color it was originally shown in and is as designed! A warmer grey brown, without the blue undertones. There have been a few replacements needed for customers who had original pieces but overall the product has been very well received. Rails and conv kits are no problem.

A few notes to all: First off, the hutch lights are awesome, energy conserving and rechargable. I have included below, a specific page on this light install from our manual. Please read it carefully and share these directions with your customer. Once the light's magnet has been placed on the underside of a shelf, it cannot be moved. That said, the shelves are all interchangable so light can be used in any position. Note that it will start to dim after a lot of use. Recharging is super easy! You will find USB cord packed with your item. Also note that on the end of the light there is a toggle switch, place toggle to manual (M)or it will go on and off automatically(A)via motion.

Secondly, as of next month, Milk Street will begin charging interest on balances past due. While we did not want to resort to this, we are not being paid on time. As a small company trying to keep stock for you, this simply does not work. We have done everything in our power to get stores set for the new year, and cannot continue to work for you in a healthy way without your on time payments. For those of you that are honoring your commitment to MIlk Street, we are so thankful to have you as partners. It is wonderful to do business with folks who understand the importance of this.

Lastly, Cloud finish swatches will go out this week! Sorry for the delay. Also included in this mailing will be a cedar panel to add to the selling story. As you know, each of our cases have a bottom panel made of unfinished cedar. This is a feature that is many times overlooked! Make sure we have the correct store(s) addresses for shipping. The Relic in Cloud will be arriving next month. Sell away!

MILK STREET GOODS ARE HERE!!!!!!

At long last, we have been released and trucks are rolling to the warehouse.

Once we receive we will ship everything out!

Make sure you are in good standing.

Email Fran if you need more Milk Street brochures.

Quote 4-6 weeks and SELL SELL SELL:)

OCTOBER 26th!

NEW RELIC CRIB AND CLOUD FINISH FOR RELIC COLLECTION

AVAIL TO SHIP IN JAN 2019. LOVED SEEING YOU ALL IN VEGAS. KEEP THE FAITH!

STAY FRESH!

Happy Saturday Guys!

Happy to report that Cameo now is MILKSTREET's Top selling Collection!

I knew it would get there, even with that revised oval!

Here is breakdown of sales as of today:

Cameo 47%

Relic 32%

True 21%

Interesting stuff, thanks to our new Milk Street analyst, Babou. He is a new hire who is giving us

The business analytics plus added structure to help us continue to grow.

Shipments will be heading out to you early next week. WAHOOOOO!

Hello !

Hope everyone is enjoying time with friends and family. Nothing better than these long days and a more relaxed schedule.

CONTAINERS SHOULD BE HERE ANY DAY!

Fran and I are looking into tracking devices for our shipments so that we can get a live feed as to where goods are at all times.

Would love to know the truth, day by day, that the freight guys never fully share. RIDICULOUS.

As soon as we know something, you will!

Sales continue to be exciting, with Relic and True tied for first place, but Cameo catching up quickly.

Labor Day is upon us. Milk Street promo to be announced tomorrow. What truly does help make the sale?

As mentioned, we look forward to being in a fully stocked position by end of October, so sell with confidence.

We continue to work hard to improve Milk Street processes, but at the end of the day...... stock is what we need.

Please reach out if you still need credits or replacements.

As always, I am happy to talk through any and all issues, customers, life in general:)

You guys are our top priority.

julie

SUMMER SIZZLE

Inventory will be updated by Weds showing the stock we have to ship immediately.

We have Cameo in both finishes to ship now. (Sleigh in Steam, hutches, 5 drawer avail August)

We have Relic Arch cribs and True Traditional Cribs also avail to ship now!

You will be receiving a package including some additional selling tools:

1- Warranty trifold for your floor display, emphasizing our 10 year warranty.

2- A cedar panel sample to highlight a important MIlk Street feature.

The more we can offer/add to your selling story, the better.

We know that timing and inventory levels are everyones greatest concern, we are getting there! Quality looks great in the second and third run. As always, we urge you to inspect and white glove before

you deliver. Lets make July and August record months!

HAPPY 4th PEOPLE!🇱🇷

Hoping you all have a fabulous week with friends and family.

Please note that MILK STREET will be closed to celebrate Independence Day.

We will reopen Monday July 9th.

No update from Fran this week, but if you account is in good standing, your orders up thru 4/1 have shipped.

Jamie is getting married this week but will be back

on Weds to invoice and get BOLS out.

CONGRATS JAMIE❤️

julie

Hey Everyone!

Just back from a fantastic few days off with my son. The two of us went for a brief, much needed jaunt to Cuba to celebrate his birthday. If you have never been there, I highly recommmend it!

I want to give an overdue shout out to Lisa Vannoy and her staff at Posh Mommy and Baby Too for an amazing few days in Madison, Alabama. It was great

meeting her family and staff. I especially enjoyed getting to know Lisa. She has an incredible store where it is evident that her attention to detail is a big part of her

success. Take a look below at just a few of the Milk Street treats she had created for the event!

UPDATES: Sales continue to excite!

PRODUCT:

Our containers of Relic and True have arrived at port and are moving. They should be received into warehouse by this Friday and shipping out to your stores early next week.

The TOAST finish is super hot. I love to see Cameo catching up with the other two lines.

This warm, yummy brown finish finally taking off as I knew it would!

PR / MARKETING:

As mentioned at ABC, the social media marketing of MILK STREET on a national level has been very

successful. We spend approx $2500 per month to build our brand. This continues to be a key

part of our focus as we strive to find ways to drive traffic and sales to your stores/websites.

In Phase II of this plan, we hope to partner with independent stores who are interested in becoming more

active on social media and broadening their reach on a local level.

We are looking for 20+ stores to go a bit deeper with us in our branding campaign. Please reach out to me

directly if this is of interest to you and I can fill you in on the details/costs associated with our plan.

Yesterday, Power Post offered Milk Street an incredibly deep discount if we can get stores on

board by the end of June as they try to make their quarterly numbers.

I would LOVE to see those of you who truly "get" the importance of social media and its reach within our demographics to join us and continue to grow the brand.

Happy to talk through this plan with anyone who not in Orlando.

Let me restate that Milk Street is working hard for each of you, to create opportunities and innovative ways

to increase your sales. No other vendor will do this for you. Not one.

Let's continue to build momentum!

It is finally spring in New England!

Hoping everyone is enjoying longer days and warmer sunshine.

UPDATES:

Product-

Cameo is shipping! Relic and True have still not arrived, but are scheduled to hit stateside by end of the month, AKA within the next 5 days.

I continue to call our forwarder 3 x a day for any news. As soon as it is released we will get it received and shipped out.

Trust me, I am more anxious about getting this in than even the most hormonal of customers you may have!

Freight Program-

I have been working with all of our shipping partners to get you better rates. Shelba has given us incredible rates in all the states they offer service in. They are a great partner both as a warehouse and as a transport company. Hats off to R. Tucker….my boy!

If you are planning on using Unishippers, you will need to work directly with Claudia and she will be able to estimate your costs for you. Once you are satisfied with her quote, we can palletize and ship. Pallets will be an additional $12.50 per pallet. If Unishippers will be your transport of choice, please let me know and I will email you specific procedures to follow. Since they are a shipping broker, our warehouse will not work directly with them.

Houser, Murrows and Brooks are all companies that require each store to set up an account.

We will no longer be offering rates with AWEST and MFX. The timing and communication from these two transport companies almost killed me on the first round!

Marketing-

We continue to focus on and expand our marketing campaign! Lots to share when we are together at SEC with regard to branding and also individual store promotions.

That’s it for now….off to Raleigh this week to launch at Tots To Teens Furniture. Can’t wait!

Hello Hello! Great experience in Ohio with Baby Tyme. Loved seeing both stores and getting to know this incredible family. Man, they totally understand this business and have a wealth of knowledge with regard to maximizing every sale. Thanks to John, Joe, Steve and Melissa for the time they spent with me. Loved meeting Julie and Texie. These sales people are invaluable...our "boots on the ground!."

UPDATES:

You should all have received your MILK STREET literature. Let me know if you did not.

ETA on product is as follows:

Cameo shipment arrived 3/31 but has yet to be released from the port. They are telling me there is a back up. Right. Hoping it will move first thing Monday. Forwarder is promising this, which means we can get Cameo shipping out next week. This shipment DOES NOT include the hutch, Low Profile FB or the 5 drawer. These are in production now.

Relic and True collections are on the water. One container will be here by the end of the month with the other 3 containers to arrive 2-3 weeks afterward. If you placed orders before March 1st or were shorted items, you are covered in the first arriving container. First container contains 3 drawer, 5 drawer, Low Profile FB, tot rails. Hutches, adult rails, and spare parts will be in the later 3 containers.

By mid May we should be fully stocked in all three collections.

Please continue to quote 12 weeks, after this run we will be shortening that to hopefully 8-10 weeks.

Stay tuned....

julie

Greetings!

Amazing days spent at both the launch events out west at The Juvenile Shop and down south at Bellini Boca! It was fun to be at the beach for a few days with my family. Thanks for a great time. I loved being in the stores with you guys and meeting your people.

UPDATES:

MILKSTREET LITERATURE: Shipped! Sent to the store addresses shown in your portals. A few people did not get touch up pens which I have sent out, do not have lots of spare literature, so if there is an incorrect address please advise.

TRUE/ RELIC- In Vietnam as I write this!

Relic and True stock looks good! I have opened 75 % of the cartons and as soon as we can book the vessle we will get it on the water. Should be on track for late April.

julie