October Shipping Update
With our recent move to Kingston, and some unanticipated delays in receiving materials to our new location, we are a still little behind on shipping orders as we continue to find a safe and steady rhythm in our new home.
Orders placed during October will tend to ship within 7-10 business days, and often before if we can manage it.
As always, if you require something to ship by a certain date please contact us at TheLab@KeapBK.com and we'll do all we can prioritize your shipment in time. With love, the Keap team.
September Shipping Update
Currently, we still anticipate shipping most packages within 5-7 business days. We will also be moving Keap from Brooklyn to Kingston in late September, and anticipate some short delays due to our planned moving process.
August Shipping Update
Currently, we anticipate shipping most packages within 7 business days during August. Heatwaves can delay our shipping as we do not ship out when temperatures are over 90º to prevent damage.
Jul 29th Update
Dear Keapers,
We’ve now been back at the Keap studio for seven weeks (around half the time we were shut due to COVID-19). We have felt more fortunate than ever to be back making candles for you all.
As I mentioned in our early July update, pouring and shipping candles have been happening in tandem as we have sought to catch up. Despite limitations imposed by COVID-19, we’ve made great strides.
I am going to do something unusual for a candle company, which is to show you a graph! This graph shows a few things, so let me explain briefly. In green is the “# of Candles Finished” since our return, and in turquoise the “# of Candles Shipped”. The horizontal blue lines represent the milestones of approximately catching up with the quantity business for the end of April, May, June and Jul (in ascending order).
The graph visually demonstrates the journey of our past few months, with each tiny increment upward on that chart representing 100s of candles poured, packed and shipped by us. It also highlights the immense understanding you’ve shared with us over many weeks and months — a critical factor in our safe and assured recovery.
This week we are pouring, finishing and preparing all remaining orders for shipping, through at least July 25th. If you placed an order with us before then and haven’t yet received a tracking email, then look out for it early next week as we get these packages to USPS.
Thanks again to you all.
We could have not done this without your love, support, and especially your patience.
Keep the fire burning,
Stephen from Keap
Before & After: me and some precious candle packages on a recent day of shipping.
Jun 30th update
Dear Keapers,
It’s been three full weeks since we were able to return to the Keap candle studio, and everything has gone smoothly so far — Keap scents are once more filling the air!
Thus far, our focus has been on pouring thousands of candles all the while ensuring that we don’t take any shortcuts to quality or safety in the process.
As we announced in our earlier June update, we will begin shipping now that we have some candles in stock again. With so many backed up orders, we’re working on batches of orders with similar scents and shipping configurations. It is hard for us to say exactly when your candles will ship, but we anticipate we’ll be able to get out all waiting orders over the course of the next 4-5 weeks. As a reminder: please let us know if there are any address changes or urgent shipping needs for your orders, and we’ll do our utmost to accommodate these.
Given the immediacy we’ve been trained to expect by the Amazon-machines of the world, I am deeply appreciative of your understanding that we can only pour and ship as fast as we are humanly doing. Thank you for supporting this reasonable way of doing things!
Since we’re talking about all things shipping here, I’ll also add that in the summer months — and particularly in the back of hot delivery vehicles where it can approach 150º+— we have seen cases where candles have arrived melted! If for any reason your candles arrive in a poor condition, please let us know. We know you might feel worried about mentioning this during a pandemic, but pandemic or not, we want you to be happy with your candles!
With warmth and gratitude,
Stephen
Candles getting packed up at the studio this week
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Jun 8th update
Dear Keapers,
The past few weeks have been full of many ups and downs, and the most challenging for us in our five years of business.
Thankfully we have remained safe and well; throughout, you have kept ordering candles and brightened our days with your wonderful messages of support. Today we have a small piece of uplifting news of our own: as of Monday June 8th we will partially be able to return to our studio to begin pouring candles again!
We have worked with state guidelines to ensure our safety is prioritized above all (Gov. Cuomo deserves a big shoutout for some exemplary leadership and providing NY businesses with some incredible resources to help us get back to work safely).
With a backlog of orders and new safety procedures in place, it's going to take us a while to get back to our usual speedy delivery. We’ll only have one person at the studio at a time, and we are juggling other challenges such as receiving our supplies in an orderly fashion. We will be working as fast as we can, and commit to keeping you informed along the way.
To keep things simple, we will be moving to a temporary system of shipping at the end of the month i.e. we will ship most orders the last week of June (6/29) and the last week of July (7/27). When it comes to figuring out the puzzle of dealing with COVID-19 precautions and pouring thousands of candles, this is the most sensible solution we have found to navigate this return smoothly for you and us too. We will of course try to surprise you by shipping sooner!
For those who have orders with us waiting, these will be prioritized and we'll do our best to group items together and get them out in our late-June shipping window. Orders placed now won't be shipped immediately, and are expected to ship either in the June or July shipping window. We hope by the end of July to be able to switch back to a typical shipping process. If you have any concerns please check out our FAQs below or let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your needs as always. Your patience is gratefully welcomed during this phase and I’ll be posting updates on Instagram regularly, as well as keeping information up to date here.
This is the perfect moment to let us know of any changes we should make to your orders, particularly if you have changed address. Just respond to this email to let us know. Subscribers: Please note that updating your address in your subscription account only updates your address for future orders.
We realize there is a long road yet to travel, but for now, we cannot wait to start pouring candles again for you!
Keep the fire burning,
— Stephen from Keap
STUDIO RETURN FAQS
When and how will I receive the candles ordered during the shutdown?
We will be prioritizing our back-orders first and estimate we will ship the majority of these orders the last week of June (6/29). If you have had multiple candles ordered with us over the last few months, we will aim to ship these to you together.
What if I really would like my candles before then?
Focusing on pouring candles first will help us manage getting through our backlog efficiently for everyone. If you have concerns with receiving your candles after 6/29 please let us know and we will offer alternative options.
When will I receive a new order placed during June?
Given our backlog from April and May, it is likely that any new orders placed in June will be shipped during our July shipping window. However it is possible that we may be able to ship this sooner. We feel it’s best to set expectations low, and have the chance of surprising you.
Can I still manage my subscription like normal?
Of course. We’ll ship you any candles you have ordered during the shutdown, and you can continue to manage upcoming deliveries as normal e.g. changing scents or skipping shipments.
How have you been able to re-open?
We meet the guidelines to reopen in Phase 1 of NY State’s phased reopening plans, and New York City has met the correct regional metrics to be considered ready to enter Phase 1 on June 8th.
Will you be working with a reduced team?
Yes. We are choosing safety first and starting with only one person in our studio at a time. We are making other accommodations, including moving to a 7 day week schedule, to maximize our candle making. Your patience and understanding is gratefully welcomed during this phase!
What other steps are you taking to ensure safety?
Safety is our primary concern, so we’re moving slowly and carefully as we return to the studio. Among many measures, we will be performing temperature screening, new cleaning and safety steps, and following all CDC and NYS guidance.
