Mark's Holiday Letter

Mark's Holiday Letter

First off, I hope you are well and enjoying (safely) the loosening of the guidelines and mandates as we continue to fight this virus. With the holidays fast approaching, I wanted to take a few minutes and share some exciting news and some less exciting logistical considerations.

First, the exciting stuff!

We have lobster!
I know that seems like a no-brainer, however, I am sure you have noticed this year that sometimes we did not have your favorite lobster product...for example, we ran out of lobster meat for a couple of months this year 😳. Lobster meat should not be a problem this holiday season, so get ready for some holiday lobster rolls!

New products being released!
I will not reveal them all now, however, we are super-excited about some new offers for you this holiday season. A couple of them may make you go “hmmmm” in the best of ways.

It’s RAOK season!
As you know, the holiday season is about giving, and we will continue our tradition of curating a super-cool Maine-themed holiday box that will randomly be gifted to lucky recipients during the month of December.

New Rewards & Points Program!
Very excited about this new addition. Now you get to enjoy special savings and incentives for shopping at your favorite lobster store. This also includes “Share with a Friend” where you earn $25 when your friends order off Get Maine Lobster. CHECK IT OUT >

Do you like our new look?
We upleveled our website. What do you think? It was time for a fresh new look and some new usability that we hope improves your shopping experience. If you have feedback, we would love to hear it!

Now for some logistics...

We’ve been capped!
And, we are not alone. What does it mean to be capped? Well, Fedex has reduced the allowable number of boxes we can ship between 11/22 and 12/31. Why? Seems Fedex/UPS are already feeling the logistics pinch. Not to worry, we predicted this would happen and have alternative methods to be able to expand our capacity during the holidays. We strongly recommend ordering and receiving your items early if you are ordering frozen products. 

Supply chain reality
We learned a lot about how the world operates these past 12 months. In short, supply chains these days are a big fat mess….UNLESS, you are planners like we are. We started planning months ago for the upcoming holiday season, and we are geared up to serve. That said, the following are still out of our control:

Big Tails: it has been a strange year for big tails. We are constantly on the hunt, that said, for those HUGE lobster tail lovers, be sure that you are a subscriber to our email or text group if you want to enjoy access...we will be offering to subscribers first. We have some in stock right now, however, very limited supply. GET YOURS while they are i stock >

Other Product Supplies: some of our value-add products that you love (Beef Wellington, Lobster Mac & Cheese, etc.) may sell out fast. Because production times have been elongated due to labor and other issues, it will be difficult for us to procure some of your faves in time for the holidays. We have stocked up based on projections, however, if we go viral on social media again, first come first serve. Order early - we cannot stress this enough!

Boxes and Coolant: last year we ran out of boxes... twice, and dry ice once. This year, we have planned ahead and have been assured we are all set with our projections on boxes and coolant.

Logistics reality
Moving goods from A to B has been a challenge all year long. In December, that challenge 10-folds. With that, here are some logistic considerations for your holiday shopping plans.

Fedex and UPS: we strongly recommend ordering and receiving your orders  early for the holiday season. Unless you are ordering live Maine lobsters, you can have your holiday feast arrive early and store in the freezer until the big night. Both Fedex and UPS will struggle this season with on-time deliveries….that is just the reality. If you are ordering frozen items, have them arrive early and pop them in your freezer until go-time. 

Freighting: last year we had a number of issues with freight being delayed. This year, freight has been delayed even more. We request your patience in case we have to delay your order because of freight delays. Again, we recommend ordering early and scheduling early arrival dates when possible.

Labor: last year we got lucky. So far this year, we have been lucky as well. That said, labor shortages are real, we all see it every day. If we are not able to “beef” up for the holidays, please show kindness and understanding with our staff. Everyone is working hard to deliver unforgettable moments...if we have to do it with less people, it becomes more challenging.

Yes, we have a couple of challenges in front of us. However, we have a tendency to rise up and come out on top. Rest assured we are hustling for you and look forward to serving you this holiday season.

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