Regarding COVID-19 Situation

November 2021 Update:

COVID shipping disruptions have struck again! 

This time because global shipping has been disrupted and ports/airports are still backlogged, many countries have stopped accepting international first-class/priority packages starting on November 1.

You can see the full list of countries affected here:
https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/overview_en.html

We had just resumed shipping a few months ago using a faster shipping method called International Small Packet, but unfortunately many countries have stopped accepting that shipping method.

For November, we took on the 2x increase in shipping costs ourselves and shipped out all the boxes using EMS (we shipped each box at a loss). Unfortunately for December (and until our usual shipping method resumes) we'll have to increase prices :(

What does this mean for you?

- we'll be temporary increasing the price of the Snakku box by $5. This will be temporary until shipping issue resolves (hopefully by mid-January), at which point we will reduce the price of the Snakku boxes again. New price of the Snakku box will be $54.85/box, up from $49.85/box. 

- we'll be using DHL for shipping, so boxes should get to you within 3-4 days from when you receive the shipping notification. This means that you'll receive your box in time for the holidays.

We can't thank you enough for your patience and support during these tough times. Please send us a message if you have any questions.

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May 2, 2021 update:

It's been a while but hope you are staying safe and healthy.

We're excited to announce that Snakku will resume shipping in June. However, the effects of COVID are still being felt and we'll be making a few changes to Snakku.

Tasting Box Discontinued:

Many of the partners that made the Tasting Box possible have closed up shop and shipping prices have gone up in general since COVID. As such, it's no longer possible for us to offer the Tasting Boxes. We hope to bring it back in the future, but for now we've discontinued the Tasting Box.

Shipping Changes:

COVID still continues to disrupt the shipping industry. The initial shipping method that we used with JapanPost is still unavailable so we've had to change to a new shipping method.

We typically ship all of our boxes from Japan using JapanPost EMS. EMS is able to offer competitive shipping prices because they put packages in the cargo spaces of various passenger flights. However because passenger flights to most countries are still down, we are still not able to ship out packages using this method.

The new shipping method we found still uses JapanPost but is not reliant on passenger flights and is dedicated to commercial shipping. Unfortunately, this shipping method is pricier so we've increased the price of our boxes to reflect this (it's still much cheaper than DHL/Fedex/UPS). However this shipping method is a bit faster than what we used before, so the boxes should get to you quicker.

We can't thank you enough for your patience and support during these tough times. We can't wait to get back up and running and share the delicious treats from our snack maker partners.

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November 26, 2020 update:

We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

Unfortunately shipping delays are continuing. We typically ship all of our boxes from Japan using EMS. EMS is able to offer competitive shipping prices because they put packages in the cargo spaces of various passenger flights. However because passenger flights to most countries have gone down by 70-90%, EMS is no longer able to ship out packages. 

While we can ship using private shipping companies like UPS/DHL/FEDEX, we found that they are too expensive and it just didn't feel right charging our fans $15-20 for shipping on a box that is $39. 

We've been in constant contact with EMS and JapanPost and while they couldn't provide us when shipping will resume, we believe it will be sometime in early 2021.

We're truly sorry for the disruption in service and not being able to ship any boxes for the holidays. But at the same time, we can't thank our fans enough for supporting us during these tough times. 

Please contact us at hello@snakku.com if you have any questions.

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October 10, 2020 update:

Unfortunately shipping delays are still in effect due to COVID.

We've been working on figuring out alternative logistic plans but for the time being we've been prioritizing helping our team members who we've had to let go for the time being.

We're in contact with JapanPost/EMS but so far shipping is delayed until at least December/January. 

You can also follow the JapanPost news updates here:https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/2020/overview.html

Please contact us at hello@snakku.com.

These are certainly tough times for us but we will 100% continue Snakku once things start going back to normal. Thanks so much for all your support and we hope to see you soon.

Until then, please stay safe and healthy.

- Shigeki & the Snakku team

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July 21, 2020 update:

Unfortunately, shipping delays due to COVID-19 are still in effect. 

We typically use EMS to ship out the boxes because is the most cost-effective, and timely service for our customers. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has specifically impacted EMS shipping across all countries. Other businesses have started to use DHL or UPS for shipping but are charging an extra $15 per box for shipping. Ultimately, we feel that charging $15 for shipping just doesn't provide the best experience for our customers. This is really unfortunate but for the time being, we've pushed back shipping out all boxes until at least November. 

You can also follow the JapanPost news updates here:https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/2020/overview.html

Please contact us at hello@snakku.com.

Thank you everyone for your support and please stay safe and healthy!

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June 2, 2020 update:

Unfortunately, shipping delays due to COVID-19 are still in effect and we have pushed back the June Snakku box another month to July. We will continue to update you.

You can also follow the JapanPost news updates here:https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/2020/overview.html

If you have not received your April Snakku box, please contact us at hello@snakku.com.

Thank you everyone for your support while we work through these disruptions. Stay safe and stay healthy!

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Original April 26th post:

Hello fellow snack fans. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these uncertain times.

The COVID-19 situation is affecting all of us, and changing the way we live and interact. As a small business, Snakku and all the snack makers we work with couldn't survive without your support.

During these uncertain times, we did our best to offer the Snakku experience without compromising safety or quality. Unfortunately, due to the unprecedented situation, we are unable to fulfill those promises for the next month (or until the situation gets a little better).

Snack Makers are Being Impacted:

Japan was able to mitigate the initial impacts of COVID-19. However, the country recently declared a state of emergency. As such, many of the snack makers that we work with have stopped or decreased production of the snacks.

Snakku is the only Japanese snack experience that works with regional small Japanese snack makers, and while we tried to support these mom-and-pop businesses, they too do not want to put their (and their customers') safety at risk.

This severely impacted our promise to you: to deliver curated snacks from local makers that you can't get anywhere else. 

Shipping Delays and Stoppage:

We usually ship out our boxes with Japan Post. However, COVID-19 has significantly impacted all air shipping. Japan Post has just announced on April 24 that they have paused shipping to nearly all countries that we ship to.

We've looked for new ways to ship out our boxes, but did not want to compromise the quality of the experience. Unfortunately, all available shipping methods were significantly more expensive or had an extremely long shipping time (3-4 months).

We prioritize the quality of the experience above all else, and we just didn't feel comfortable shipping out perishable snacks with such a long delivery window or charge an exorbitant fee for shipping.

What to Expect?

We're keeping a close eye on the situation and working with the snack makers and JapanPost. For now, we've pushed back everyone's subscription back a month (and hope to start shipping out boxes again soon). Should the situation change, we will let everyone know asap.

If you have any questions, please feel free to message us at hello@snakku.com.

We can't thank you enough for your support and please stay safe and healthy. 

Shigeki Abe, Founder