CRSW MIA

Anyone heard from Larry from Cold River Soap Works?

The site has zero inventory. I've reached out twice via email and haven't heard back.

Hope all is well.

This reminded me to get my Winter Sent CRSW out and use it. 
I took a look at the website, and it's empty as a cookie jar that the kids just hit, you're right.

Anyone heard from Larry from Cold River Soap Works?

The site has zero inventory. I've reached out twice via email and haven't heard back.

Hope all is well.

I read something on another forum that their out of business. There were others that emailed Larry and got no response. That would be a shame if that’s a fact.

That’s too bad. This business is challenging I would think. If an artisan isn’t working like hell to stay front of mind, they’re going to sink below the waves and be forgotten. While there is a degree of loyalty in the wet shaving community, the pull of the next shiny thing is strong.

That’s too bad. This business is challenging I would think. If an artisan isn’t working like hell to stay front of mind, they’re going to sink below the waves and be forgotten. While there is a degree of loyalty in the wet shaving community, the pull of the next shiny thing is strong.

I agree Mark but I also see a trend on that particular forum where there is a group of people that seem to be pushing supporting mass produced shave soaps like LaToya, Williams, Artko etc and are actually using the word cheap soap and supporting them over artisan brands and especially US artisan brands. I honestly don’t get it but it may and I’m not sure have an effect on US Artisan Soap makers as well as what you brought up. I also think that Covid has an effect on many businesses. I know from my standpoint not only has every ingredient, packaging, labels, aroma ingredients have all gone up and some significantly as well as lead times which can also not only cost delays in production but sometimes we have to buy bigger amounts so we don’t have to worry about it being sold out when we want it and we have to pay upfront so their holding our working capital for much longer periods of time. 

 I think Larry made an excellent shave soap. So unless it was just his choice to exit the business then that’s a shame for whatever the reason that forced him to close if the statement I read is true. 

I’m hoping not.

Please tell me this is not true. I love CRSW and in fact I have the most of their tub in my collection. So many amazing scent from them.

I might rub some of you the wrong way with this post. If you're open to a larger discussion, please indulge me.
Let's set the table here. The adage, "There's enough business for everybody" isn't true. If it was, nobody would go out of business. I don't know anything specific about this vendor (CRSW) but this could be pretty much any vendor in this discussion.
I believe after my extensive conversations with DanLaw and Lipripper660 (Dan & Matt), they will understand where I'm coming from here.
How many times have you ordered from (insert vendor name here) in the last 12 months? Have you repeat purchased their product? Once, twice, more???
If not, are you surprised they are gone? It doesn't matter if they make an "excellent" product or not. Will from B&M eluded to this a few years ago, there is a limited pool of dollars for shaving stuff and a limited pool of "hobbyists" that will keep you afloat. 
Business is tough, no, there isn't enough hobbyist business for everyone. That's why the most viable growth path is gaining customers that will buy your product, use it up and come buy more. We have had enough history now in 5 years to see we have an expansion of "regular dudes" on Amazon mostly, but a few from our own site. Our best customer orders 5X per year. Do you think he has a bathroom full of other people's product? I doubt it.

Having served in a lead capacity in Programme and Product Management with a couple international firms ranging from long established and highly regarded extremely high end white shoe experiential based sales to regulated incumbent monopolistic tech provider, in all cases, this is exactly the discussions we had on a regular basis during strategic and tactical pricing and promotion initiatives whether new product launch or existing product planning.  Concurred, customer retention and expansion are critical to survival.  However, there is a small segment of the market that buys and stores many soaps from many artisans but that is too small of a segment to maintain the cashflows required to keep small to mid size artisans in business.  Ultimately though, every firm dreads the moment of revelation wherein the customer adds up the spend to date getting sticker shock.

Having served in a lead capacity in Programme and Product Management with a couple international firms ranging from long established and highly regarded extremely high end white shoe experiential based sales to regulated incumbent monopolistic tech provider, in all cases, this is exactly the discussions we had on a regular basis during strategic and tactical pricing and promotion initiatives whether new product launch or existing product planning.  Concurred, customer retention and expansion are critical to survival.  However, there is a small segment of the market that buys and stores many soaps from many artisans but that is too small of a segment to maintain the cashflows required to keep small to mid size artisans in business.  Ultimately though, every firm dreads the moment of revelation wherein the customer adds up the spend to date getting sticker shock.

I don't think our best customers get sticker shock from us.

Having served in a lead capacity in Programme and Product Management with a couple international firms ranging from long established and highly regarded extremely high end white shoe experiential based sales to regulated incumbent monopolistic tech provider, in all cases, this is exactly the discussions we had on a regular basis during strategic and tactical pricing and promotion initiatives whether new product launch or existing product planning.  Concurred, customer retention and expansion are critical to survival.  However, there is a small segment of the market that buys and stores many soaps from many artisans but that is too small of a segment to maintain the cashflows required to keep small to mid size artisans in business.  Ultimately though, every firm dreads the moment of revelation wherein the customer adds up the spend to date getting sticker shock.

I don't think our best customers get sticker shock from us.

It is not necessarily the total spend in a vacuum but rather:
A, the total spend relative to one's financial situation
B, the total spend to acquire what a casual user might consider soaps differing only in scent coming from the same artisan
C, the spend when confronted by a significant other enquiring why so many soaps have been accumulated when they all do the same thing.

These questions take on merit whether the buyers are very well heeled realizing they have spent mid 5 figures annually with Ivy tuitions coming due, missed market investing opportunities due to spending on consumption or simply realizing they are not using the tech services purchased sufficiently to justify the annual billing when doing personal family budgeting in the businesses from whence personally experienced.  One man's ceiling is another's floor when it comes to customer finances