It has been some time since my last entry, and with the pace of projects we have taken on, it feels fair to say that we are operating at full capacity. While many think of November and December as the busiest stretch of the year, those of us on the operations side of retail know that the real work begins months earlier. Planning, sourcing, and making the key decisions that shape the season all take place well before the rush.

The first cool breeze of autumn arrived today. After enduring the weight of summer, I have realized, seven years in, that the heat is not my natural element. Sourcing becomes arduous, deadlines stretch, and tempers on the street run shorter than usual. Yet the fields just beyond my desk are full of activity, farmers hard at work, and that sense of growth feels reassuring.

September carries its own rhythm. A shipment has just arrived and will be unveiled on 20 September, even as the next container is already being filled. Our After School Specials workshops have been rewarding, though more labour-intensive than we anticipated, and our latest initiative, Museum Gift Shop's festive bundles, marks a first for us. Beyond the products themselves, we are finally delivering on a longstanding ambition: thoughtful, in-house packaging that elevates the act of giving. Samples have just been signed off, and we are eager to share them.

With this focus, we will forgo our quarterly Weekend Market this autumn and turn our attention to the year’s end. In the months ahead, new introductions will arrive: Tobimatsu Toki’s porcelain pendant lights, Soobin Jeon’s Clearmood glass objects, A Tangible Future’s sculptural wooden blocks, Keijusha’s washi paper products, Tamaki Niime's weave loom shawls and perhaps a few others still under negotiation. It promises to be a lively close to the year, and we look forward to welcoming you in store for a coffee, a tea, and a look at what is to come.


Warm regards,
Bryan Teo