Cost Transparency

๐Ÿ’ธ What Youโ€™re Actually Paying For

A breakdown from your favorite overcaffeinated small biz owner.

One of the most common questions small business owners get is:
โ€œWhy does this cost more than [Temu / AliExpress / Big Chain Store]?โ€

And honestly? Valid. Iโ€™d wonder too. And I DID before I had my own.ย 

So hereโ€™s what actually goes into the prices you see, because I hate gatekeeping, and you deserve to know where your moneyโ€™s going.

๐Ÿ’ป 1. Shopify Shenanigans

Shopify does a goofy thing with currency conversions - sometimes addingย $2โ€“$3 to the price you see in non-AUD currencies.
This isnโ€™t something I control. The AUD price stays the same, but Shopify fluctuates their conversions even when I donโ€™t touch the listing.
To be clear: I donโ€™t see that extra money. It justโ€ฆ vanishes into the void. I wish I could fix it.

๐Ÿงพ 2. Shopify Takes 23% of All Sales

Yup. Twenty-three percent.
Not of profit. Of total sales.
Why? Because I do a lot of preorders and international orders, Shopify sees that as โ€œrisky,โ€ and they hold funds as insurance.

That 23% = fees, holdbacks, processing. Itโ€™s why my margins are tight. Itโ€™s also why you donโ€™t see heaps of freebies in every order - which brings me to:

๐Ÿ’ณ 3. Why I Love PayPal

When you checkout via PayPal, I get a bit more breathing room (aka: I keep more of your payment instead of handing it to the platform gods).
So what do I do with that extra margin? I give back - in the form of better freebies, better packaging, and surprise upgrades.

Itโ€™s not about pocketing more. Itโ€™s about sharing more.

๐Ÿงต 4. Quality > Fast Fashion

Could I use a cheaper manufacturer? Sure.
Could I make things for half the price? Yep.
Would they fall apart in 2 weeks and make me cry? Also yes.

I donโ€™t want to make products that end up in landfill after one use. I use reinforced stitching, custom zippers, better fabrics, and small ethical factories - which means each piece costs more to make, but lasts way longer.

Fast fashion pricing = fast fashion quality. I wonโ€™t do that to you. Or the planet.

๐Ÿ“ฆ 5. Small Business = Higher Costs

Unlike big brands, I canโ€™t order 10,000 units for $1 each.
My minimums are usually 100โ€“1000 units, and I donโ€™t get bulk discounts like Target or JYP Shop. That means:

  • Higher cost per item

  • Warehousing fees to store stock

  • Packaging, printers, ink, loyalty cards, custom freebies

  • Customs, freight, B-grade replacements, damaged stock

  • Paying platforms like Shopify $12+ per app just to run international features

  • $1200+ to AusPost annually just to lower your shipping costs

Every little detail adds up, and most small shops donโ€™t even pay themselves a wage for months.

๐Ÿงต 6. Labor, Time & Creative Energy

Letโ€™s break it down:
โœ” Designing, testing, refining
โœ” Product photography & content
โœ” Managing preorders & timelines
โœ” Packing every order by hand in my little Staytion
โœ” Answering every email, DM, and customer support message
โœ” Doing all this while running on iced almond lattes and sheer willpower

Thereโ€™s no team. No intern. Just me- and a spreadsheet thatโ€™s probably crying.

๐Ÿ›‘ PS: Even Cancelled Orders Cost Me

If you cancel, the platform still keeps its cut.
Thatโ€™s why preorder items have a small non-refundable deposit - not to be mean, but to stop me from losing money when plans change.

๐Ÿซถ Why Iโ€™m Telling You This

Iโ€™m not here to rip anyone off. Iโ€™m here to make beautiful, useful, heartfelt items, with full transparency and no exploitative pricing.

Every single order you place doesnโ€™t just cover material costs.
It keeps this dream alive. It helps me create the next drop, pay my rent, and grow something truly special for this community.

Your support means everything, and Iโ€™ll never take that for granted.

With all my heart,
Gigi ๐Ÿงก