Our 2022 Year in Review Posted on December 31, 2022December 31, 2022 Okay, so 2022 was a little crazy. And I don’t mean a little hectic, I mean it was crazy. Countries were invaded, some guy spent too much money on a broken app (ahem, Elon), and the Queen of England died (let’s be honest, the last one is the only one anyone cared about anyway…). And in our everyday lives, it was just as crazy. Inflation has become a real threat to our families and the way we live, stores are consistently out of stock of goods, and the weekly grocery bill seems to have doubled. But hey, it wasn’t all bad. Especially for us at the store. Certainly, we faced our share of obstacles. Supply chain issues have been and will continue to be a real issue, our product costs have skyrocketed, and with inflation affecting every American, our retail sales are down. Well, that was a pretty dismal list, but as I said, it wasn’t all bad. For example, we had a record turnout for our 4th Anniversary party, we added another member to our family, and we launched a new website that has well outperformed our sales goals in the first 2 months. We’re calling it a win. 🙂 We thought we’d give you a fun update about some of the positive details about our year, as well as a glimpse into the coming year. We won’t let a little inflation get in the way of life! So here it goes: Our 2022 Year in Review. Record turnout for our 4th-anniversary party Every August we hold an anniversary party. It’s typically our biggest sale of the year that includes an incredible swag bag of gifts, new products, coupons, and more. Each year we’ve seen this party grow, and this year was no exception. Despite a recession and inflation, you all showed up HOURS before the event and waited in line at the front door. This day is easily our favorite day of the year. We get to see all the smiling faces of our customers, and we take the opportunity to say hi face to face, and really nurture the community around our business and the natural products we make. We can’t thank you enough, but let’s just say that next year, we’ve got plans to ramp it up EVEN BIGGER. Stay tuned! Sopkos had a Baby! If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, you probably saw this. On March 2nd we added baby #5 to the Sopko family roster. It’s so fun for our customers that live out of town or only visit a few times a year. One lady came in and said, “You had a different baby on your hip last time I was in, right?” Yes, indeed. This is a different one. The one you remember is that blond-headed spitball running around the shop behind you (Wilder). If you ever stop in the store, it’s more than likely you’ll see him. His name matches his personality a little too well. But now, as we close out the year, Nora Grace isn’t so much a tiny baby. She’s a 10-month-old chunk of love. Hands down the smiliest baby with abounding light in her eyes. She truly is a joy to have around. (And for those of you wondering, we are done…knock on wood. #snipsnip) Our new website launched! This was huge for us this year. A new website has been in the works for a while now. But as with all things in brick-and-mortar retail, the digital side of things often takes a back seat. When the floor needs to be mopped, it needs to get mopped. But alas, it’s here. The results have been fantastic, too. Among a far easier and streamlined cart and checkout process, we’re also able to see a lot more information about how people are using our website. That helps us with retargeting marketing campaigns, as well as guiding us toward making better product decisions! Have a product or website suggestion? We’d love to hear it! New Products of 2022 I almost forgot to mention the handful of new products that were launched in 2022! There was a point in the early days of business when new products were launched every few weeks. But we’ve slowed down and really tried to be thoughtful about new products. Listen to our customers, and take our time on new formulations and customer needs. Here is a breakdown of the new products that were created in 2022: Deodorant Cream We’ve had a natural deodorant for a long time, but nothing like our Deodorant Cream. Brittany craftily reformulated her recipe to create a semi-solid cream that lasts longer and works better. It’s extra strength and stands up to the test of my working construction in the summer. Take it from me, it’s awesome. Shop Deodorant Cream Now Baby Oil This essential oil-free and fragrance-free oil is a better alternative to mainstream baby oils and lotions. It’s a good general recommendation to avoid using essential oils on babies (especially babies under 6 months), but to help soften their sometimes scaly skin, our natural baby oil will help! Shop Baby Oil Eyelash Growth Serum This growth serum utilizes castor oil to promote the natural growth of eyelash hair. It’s essential oil-free (you don’t want essential oils near your eyes! It applies similarly to mascara and has the best results if applied at night for a few weeks. Shop Eyelash Growth Serum And finally, a list of the top 4 MOST POPULAR products of 2022: 4. Sleep Cream A magnesium-based cream specially formulated with natural herbs and oil to help reduce muscle anxiety, nighttime muscle spasms, and restless leg syndrome. Shop Sleep Cream Now 3. Shampoo Bars A must-have product for so many of our customers. If you’ve never tried a shampoo bar, this is your sign. So many customer reviews like this one from Michelle: “I didn’t know what to expect going from a high dollar salon shampoo in a plastic bottle. This shampoo bar leaves my hair feeling natural, non-greasy, and healthy. For the first time in years, I’m happy with my hair!” Wow…enough said. (and thanks for the props Michelle!) Shop Shampoo Bars Now 2. Foaming Facial Scrub Among many of our face products, the foaming facial scrub has become a staple in so many bathrooms. It’s a great scrub for helping to promote your skin for moisturizing regimes, cleans makeup, and generally leaves your face feeling refreshed! This is one you’ll want to keep on hand because it’s often out of stock! Shop Foaming Facial Scrub Now 1. Miracle Muscles You can likely guess why this one is popular. But a quick story, this product was developed back when I was running and training for a marathon. After my long runs on the weekends, I would struggle during recovery to even walk. My wife knew just what to make that would help. This became the first magnesium-based product in our line-up and after just one time of use, the name was dubbed ‘Miracle Muscles’. And for good reason. This is a staple product for so many athletes, and general people who exercise, as well as elderly and blue-collar working folks who have general muscle aches and pains. Shop Miracle Muscles Now That’s it! That’s a wrap for our year in 2022. But, as we close out the old and welcome the new, we wanted to leave you a gift. Enter your email to save 10% off your first purchase of 2023. We’ll keep you updated on some exciting new plans for the coming year.