Even though we are now more than a month into the new year, we would still like to share our brief review of a more than turbulent 2020 with you. Last year was really different. Educational and full of uncertainty. Nevertheless, we managed to make something good out of it. Especially with your help and that of our growing community. What makes us particularly happy is that, despite everything, we were able to give something back to our planet.

Sure, we also had ups and downs and some challenges that we had to face. But what would life be without being able to learn from mistakes and grow from challenges? Thanks in part to a fine dose of luck, we can look back on the past year with a great deal of reconciliation and look forward with confidence. 

That was our year 2020, and we say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Endurance test - passed!  

Our new team was put to the test with the first lockdown. And: it worked!

The lockdown and the unprecedented situation of a pandemic has also affected us and put our still relatively new team to the test. Especially while we were growing, it wasn't easy for us to move closer together as a team. Now, in the middle of the second major lockdown, we can at least be a little more relaxed because we know that we are managing to pull together quite well, even from home. We are very happy that our cooperation and communication is also working well virtually and that we have found a good way to pursue our common goals in compliance with coronavirus and do good with JUNGLÜCK . Even though we really miss the face-to-face meetings and office life. That's why we are already hoping for a return to office life soon! Until then, we will stay strong and work on the future for you.  

Real added value

When the VAT reduction came up, it was immediately clear to us that we didn't want to keep this amount, but donate it! At the beginning, we took a little time to decide on an organization and ended up with brotZeit e.V.. We have already written a whole blog post in which we explain what the organization is all about and how we support it. We are so happy, because thanks to your help we can really make a difference here and provide children with school meals.

We were also able to lay a foundation stone: We are building a school in Malawi this year. We would of course like to keep you up to date on this in the future. Have a look at this article and find out more.

Start-ups For Tomorrow

Together with eight other start-ups, we have founded the sustainability association Start-ups for Tomorrow. Because: Together we are even stronger! And because there are so many great young companies that pursue very similar goals to ours. Making the future better, guiding consumption in a new, better direction while always looking after our planet and treating it with respect. So that our nature can recover and we can continue to benefit from it for a long time to come.

Product launches

Not only our team, but also our product range is growing and thriving and getting even better with every new member. Last year, we were therefore able to welcome some great new additions to our store: the wonderful solid products, our new baby care range, the Spatula Duo and our lip care. We are really proud of this. This year too, one of our biggest plans is to expand our range in line with your wishes. There is a lot on our agenda, so you can look forward to many new products. 

Shipping and product availability 

As I've already mentioned, it wasn't always all peace and happiness for us either. Due to the great response from you and your interest in our sustainable products, we really hit a snag at the end of last year in terms of our delivery times and product availability. We honestly hadn't expected such a huge rush and were totally overwhelmed - in the truest sense of the word. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your patience with us! Acting sustainably and always having all your favorite products in stock on time, combined with the unpredictability of a pandemic, are not so easy to reconcile. That's why we're currently working on a better solution. Until then, we will certainly learn a lot more and grow with our tasks. We are totally happy to have such a great community with you, who show understanding for us and make us what we are.  

To explain our struggle a little better, we have a short statement for you from our Supply Chain Manager Ann-Kathrin:

Why were the products sold out for so long? 

Ann-Kathrin: "The main reason was the increased demand before Christmas, which we were naturally very pleased about. However, we had to update our production planning as a result. Production is a combination of many individual suppliers. The current coronavirus pandemic has presented them with new challenges. Some plants were closed for several weeks or could only operate with half the staff. So if part of production, for example the manufacture or printing of glass bottles, cannot take place as planned, the entire process is postponed.

Of course, there are also less risky options to produce. But these are usually less sustainable. We have therefore made a conscious decision against this, but now have to accept the longer waiting time under the conditions.

To ensure that this will no longer be a problem in the long term, we have already adapted our supply chain and made it more robust. We have also optimized our stock levels, which means we now have more of a buffer to be better prepared for increased demand." 

It's a wrap!

As turbulent and unusual as last year was, with all its ups and downs, we would still like to end on a very positive note. Because all in all, we were able to donate over 180,000 euros to charitable organizations this year. What madness! We would never have thought this possible at the beginning of the year. 

We also planted an incredible number of trees, 725,988 to be exact. Many thanks at this point also to Eden Reforestation Projects and the, in the truest sense of the word, fruitful cooperation. Green is the color of hope. And that is exactly how we are starting the new year. Full of hope and lots of positive vibes! Thank you for being part of our journey.

Take care!