Yarn Shop Changes for 2021

2020 was the longest year in history yet also seems to have gone very quickly. Not sure how that works exactly—must be some screwed up space-time finagling… But now 2021 is upon us! I hope it will see things really turn around for everyone. All we can do until then is continue to take things one day at a time.

To coincide with the new year, there are some changes coming to the Yarn Shop.

UK Sales Are Ending On January 1

Due to new VAT rules coming into effect in the United Kingdom, as of January 1, 2021 I will no longer be able to provide direct sales to UK yarnists. I’m not happy about this but the rule changes unfortunately create too many challenges for a small shop like mine.

Sales Are Ending to Australia, New Zealand, and Norway On January 1

In becoming aware of the new VAT rules for the UK, I also stumbled onto tax information for Australia, New Zealand, and Norway which means I will no longer be able to provide direct sales to those countries either starting January 1, 2021. :(

EU Sales Are Ending On July 1

As of July 1, 2021, the EU is reportedly going to adopt VAT rules that are essentially the same as the new UK VAT rules. This means as of July 1, 2021 I will no longer be able to provide direct sales to EU yarnists. Again, not happy about it but the changes are just not feasible for me to deal with.

Shipping Is Moving to Fridays Only On January 1. Sort Of.

In order to provide the best shipping rates I can, I use a private shipping vendor that gives me access to discounted rates for Canada Post as well as access to the United States Postal Service (superior rates for international shipping) and good parcel insurance rates. I would not have access to any of this if I just used my local post office. Two drawbacks are that this vendor is not located conveniently near my home and they are not open on weekends.

In November I took a new day job to ensure I can continue to make ends meet and keep a roof over my head. This new job has been very good for me so far but the hours make it more difficult to get to the shipping vendor’s office during their business hours. This means I’m going to have to change when I can send orders out.

For the time being, I’m able to get assistance with outgoing packages so that shipments can go out on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This assistance is only temporary though and I’m not sure how long it will last. After it ends, I will only be able to ship parcels on Fridays.

I’m sorry to have to make this change, as I know everyone wants their orders to ship as quickly as possible. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place though… If I switch to my local post office, I will have to increase shipping rates by quite a lot as everything will have to go through Canada Post. My hope is that paying less for shipping is preferable even if it means waiting a few extra days before the parcel goes out.

Loyalty Program Is Ending On July 1

The loyalty program has been around for a year. I gave it a good try! But I’ve decided to discontinue it as of July 1, 2021. No new points will be accrued on purchases or signups made between now and then. If you currently have points, you have until June 30, 2021 to redeem them. On July 1, 2021 they will be forfeit—you’ll lose them forever. Fair warning!

I hope you have a safe and healthy 2021! Happy stitching.