Dear fellow Budoka, dear Friends,

I trust this missive finds you in good spirits.

Today, I am reaching out to share significant developments within SeidoShop that necessitate a temporary closure of our store for approximately three weeks.

Foremost among these updates is the pivotal information that we shall be closed from January 22nd (Mon) to February 8th (Thu). The rationale behind this hiatus is nuanced but can be succinctly summarized: we find it imperative to streamline our operational procedures and rectify assorted production challenges.

Throughout this hiatus, our primary focus will be on ameliorating production delays, affording us the opportunity to restart operations from a position of organizational clarity, better equipped to cater to your diverse needs.

Comprehensive measures will be undertaken, encompassing the thorough cleansing of our office space, servicing of our machinery, purification of our computer systems, and the installation of new equipment as deemed necessary.

Perhaps of greater consequence, during this interval, we aim to unify SeidoShop.FR (French), SeidoShop.com (English), and SeidoShop.JP (Japan) into one singular platform. This strategic amalgamation, while presenting both advantages and drawbacks, ultimately aims to enhance your experience with us by facilitating the following:

• Facilitating orders in your native currency, with support for nearly all global currencies.
• Providing the freedom to order in your preferred language and receive delivery in your chosen country without constraints. This marks a departure from the current limitations on our Japanese website, which restricts deliveries to Japan, and our French site, which caters exclusively to French-speaking countries. Our ambition is to grant you greater autonomy, enabling Japanese customers residing abroad to order in Japanese, and vice versa.
• Empowering you with control over customs declarations, allowing you to declare the desired amount and providing a reasonably accurate estimate of taxes based on your declared value.
• Ensuring our technical infrastructure remains at the forefront of progress, poised for future enhancements. We envision a day when we can seamlessly offer all-inclusive pricing, and when that day arrives, we shall be prepared.

Conversely, as astute observers may have noted, we are undergoing a significant reduction in our product offerings, particularly in the realm of wooden weapons.

The rationale behind this move, as expounded in our blog, is rooted in business sustainability concerns. The once optimistic expectations for improved production efficiency and reduced lead times over the past four years have proven unfounded. It is now evident that these issues persist and show no sign of abating. Consequently, we find it imperative to refine our product selection to those we can manufacture under optimal conditions, ensuring both our well-being and that of our dedicated craftsmen.

This transitional phase aligns with our annual inventory and the conclusion of our fiscal year, and the decision to close for an extensive three-week period reflects our commitment to executing these changes judiciously.
It is incumbent upon us to emphasize that Seido is not merely a profit-driven entity. Our foremost motivation is the well-being of our community, encompassing you, our valued partners, and ourselves. Our objective is to return, not merely operational, but revitalized and rejuvenated, armed with a seamlessly functioning website, minimal backorders, and a renewed commitment to fostering happiness within the Seido community.

To our French and Japanese speaking customers: 

Regrettably, this transition will result in the loss of access to your customer history. While we shall endeavor to restore as many accounts as possible, regrettably, we cannot guarantee universal access at this juncture. Furthermore, even for restored accounts, certain functionalities, such as invoice printing and automatic reordering, will be unavailable.
We extend our sincere apologies for this inconvenience, primarily stemming from our commitment to adhere to certain accounting and privacy standards that prohibit the retrieval of specific data. This decision, while challenging, upholds our integrity both from a financial and privacy standpoint. We firmly believe it is a choice in your best interest, and we stand by it. Additionally, rest assured that we retain the internal capability to access your history should the need arise. (Please note that accounts created on SeidoShop.COM will remain unaffected.)

In conclusion, we regret to inform you that while website access for consultation will be retained, the ability to make purchases will be temporarily suspended. We comprehend the inconveniences this may pose, and it is our earnest intent to keep serving you and improving our services for as long as humanly possible.
Anticipate our return in February, rejuvenated and reinvigorated, poised to reignite numerous projects for the betterment of our community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support, and we wish you all the best on the mats.

Seido Co., Ltd. Founder
Jordy Delage