If you've shopped with other preorder brands, you've probably noticed that some have a new preorder every single week.
So why don't we?
Because we made a very intentional decision not to.
When we first started Lolly & Laddie, we promised ourselves that we would build a business that was sustainable, not one that depended on constantly collecting money from future orders just to keep moving.
Preorders are an amazing tool when they're used correctly. They allow us to create unique designs, offer more variety, and avoid overproducing inventory. But they're meant to be one part of a healthy business, not the entire business model.
A healthy preorder schedule leaves room to breathe.
When a company launches a new preorder every week, it often means they're using the money from today's preorder to pay for yesterday's preorder.
While that isn't always the case, it's a cycle that can become very difficult to break.
If sales slow down for even a short period, the entire timeline starts slipping. Turnaround times get longer. Customer trust starts to fade. More preorders have to be launched to bring in more cash and the cycle continues.
It's a pattern we've unfortunately seen happen many times in the boutique world.
We intentionally build in downtime.
Between our preorders, you'll notice there are weeks where we aren't asking you to buy the next collection.
Instead, we're:
- Receiving inventory.
- Shipping outstanding preorders.
- Restocking ready-to-ship favorites.
- Planning future collections.
- Catching up on customer service.
- Making sure everything is running the way it should.
That breathing room is intentional.
It allows us to fulfill our promises before making new ones.
We'd rather miss a sale than rush into another preorder.
Could we probably generate more revenue by launching something new every Friday?
Absolutely.
But short-term sales have never been our goal.
Our goal is to be a boutique that's still here years from now, earning your trust with every order.
That means sometimes saying "not yet" instead of "buy this next."
What this means for you
When you see a Lolly & Laddie preorder open, you can feel confident knowing it was planned well in advance.
We're not opening it because we need the cash from it.
We're opening it because we're ready for it.
Our production schedule is organized, our previous collections are moving through the process, and we know we can give this preorder the attention it deserves.
We know waiting on a preorder isn't always fun, but we'd much rather ask for your patience during production than ask for your patience because we overextended ourselves.
Thank you for supporting a business that chooses long-term stability over short-term volume. We truly believe it's one of the reasons we're able to continue growing while keeping the trust of the families who shop with us.