Pre-orders
What is pre-orders?
Pre-orders means that our artisan partner starts making the product only after a customer places a pre-order button on our website. The pre-order purchase is as simple as making a normal purchase, guaranteeing that you will get the best quality and most unique piece from us as soon as it is available. The only difference from a normal order is that a customer needs to wait longer to receive the product.
Pre-orders are to guarantee that our customers get our 100% handmade product instead of frequently seeing the "out of stock" sign. Pre-orders are also a great choice for conscious consumers who want to minimise the environmental impact upon their purchase.
What is the benefit of pre-orders?
- The pre-order system guarantees the best quality and provides good conditions for artisan makers: Unlike fast fashion home brands which force the makers to produce items as quickly and cheaply as possible, Kaikô requires our artisan partners to concentrate on making the product on a timetable that can cater to quality rather than quantity.
- It is more environmentally friendly as artisans know exactly how many pieces they need to craft. Pre-orders allow us to produce less waste and energy and create no deadstock.
- It creates a connection between artisans and customers: We share the making process and progress with our customers who pre-ordered and keep connected with them. Waiting for weeks means we can keep in touch with our customers for weeks, creating a special feeling!
Why does Kaikô offer only pre-orders for certain items?
Because handcrafted products require so much time, patience and care that we cannot produce them either fast or in large quantities at once. In order to be fair to everyone, we decided to adopt the pre-order system when the items go out of stock or for bulky items that need more time to make. It guarantees you that our artisan partners make only for you and we ship it directly to your doorstep as soon as it is available.
How long should I wait?
Please allow us around 6 - 10 weeks to ship the pre-ordered items to your doorstep. In a fast-paced consumption society, it may sound long to some of you but please note that it is made exclusively for you and our artisans make sure it is the best quality to last long. The journey does not stop there. A number of pre-ordered items will be collected and shipped in one box to reduce as many greenhouse gas emissions as possible. Moreover, the making process can take a little longer depending on the weather and the availability of the artisans. Unlike machine-made products, our artisans do everything by hand and in natural conditions so rain can delay the making process! We will keep you updated so we hope you will enjoy this rare process.
What is the environmental impact of mass production processes?
Prior to the industrial revolution that made possible the mass production of consumer goods, almost everything was made-to-order and there was certainly less waste and less energy consumption. The mass production system has brought a lot of benefits and convenience to human life, however, there is no doubt that it has exploited tremendous amounts of natural resources, damaging our planet, a home not only for human beings but also for other living species. According to the United Nations, "by 2060, global material use could double to 190 billion tonnes from 92 billion, while greenhouse gas emissions could increase by 43 per cent." Another report published by World Bank states "global waste is expected to grow to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050" increasing drastically from 2.01 billion produced in 2018. There needs to be a drastic change both in the mindset of consumers and brands alike to produce and consume less, and buy products that have meaning. Kaikô believes pre-orders can be one of the small steps we can take, hoping that more and more consumers prefer this purchasing process and more brands follow a more environmentally-friendly business model.