Q: What is this?
A: PWYF - Pay what you feel. This is our version of sale. In true FKAH fashion we are doing something a bit more experimental; we were inspired by Michel Stipe’s Your Capricious Soul release, Radiohed’s In Rainbows and, of course, One World’s Everybody Eats. Everybody Eats was started in 2005, the world’s first pay-what-you-can community café.
Q: What is the simple way to describe what we are doing?
A: There are four price options for each product included in the promotion:
- Tier one is around 50-70% discount depending on the product.
- Tier two is a 10% discount and you can have this price for the next 12 months.
- Tier three is the normal price you pay year round.
- Tier four is the normal price, plus 10% and we will use that extra spend to support our sauna.
Q: Why are you doing this?
A: There are two reasons we are doing this. We are doing this for the same reasons everyone does a sale: to liquidate stock into cash so we can use it to drive the business forward. We’re also asking our citizens to participate in the bigger picture as well as our road to recovery. We aren´t like other beauty businesses in that we have our own lab, manufacturing and distribution centre in Margate; this is a big undertaking that is in our cost structure, but we are still relatively competitive in the market where other people outsource everything and have a higher mark up on there. We wholeheartedly believe in our products and what we do and so although we can’t give our products away, we wanted to give the option of pricing tiers so that people can give them a try before they commit, whatever their budget.
Q: Can I use the offers in conjunction with any others?
A: No, we’re trialling this campaign as a standalone offer and so you will not be able to use any other discounts or codes in conjunction with this one.
Q: Is there a limit to the quantity I can buy?
A: Yes, Tier one and two have a limit of one unit per customer.
Q: How do subscriptions work in store? i.e. is it delivered?
A: Yes, they are delivered as normal.
Q: Can I redeem my event ticket against this promotion?
A: Yes you can.
Q: Why are we doing this promotion if it doesn’t cover the cost of our products?
A: Last November, we nearly went bankrupt and so now we’re experimenting with ways that we can sell the products we’ve already made, even if that means it’s at a lower cost than it takes us to make. Our theory is that we would rather have money in the till and product off our shelves to reduce waste and help us recoup some capital.
Q: Why is everyone eligible, regardless of income tiers?
A: This is an exercise in accessibility - the concept is based around having our customers pay what they feel, we’ve given options that go much below the ordinary price and one that goes over it, it’s your choice and we don’t judge which decision you make - we’re simply grateful you choose to shop with us.
Q:Why does Tier 1 only allow two purchases per customer? Can you only choose one product from the range or can you purchase multiple at the lower price?
A: Since this is the first time we’ve done this format of pricing, we’re limiting Tier 1 to two units per customer. However you can shop multiple products in the campaign - so if you wanted to buy two Marine Facial Cleansers at Tier 1 and two Marine Night Creams at Tier 1, you absolutely could - but you can’t buy three Marine Facial Cleansers at Tier 1.
Q: Why is there a limited time on this offer?
A: Charging prices that go below what we spent making them is not a sustainable business practice - if we did this forever, we’d be worse off and we wouldn’t be able to sustain the company we’re trying so hard to protect. This limited offer means that we can hopefully recoup some of the costs we’ve spent making the product and come back better and stronger to facilitate and maintain a business that puts our consumers and the planet at the heart of everything.
Q: Why is there such a big discount on Tier 1?
A: Each product has its own economies of scale depending on how much we produce, when and where we sell it and this affects how much overheads contribution is attributed to the product. We’re able to offer such a big discount on Tier 1 because we make profit on other products in our line, it all comes out in the wash.
Q: Why the transparency wheel?
A: Because we aren´t like other beauty companies, we harvest and extract seaweed from the beach in Margate. We have a lab, a production line, a content studio and distribution centre and the maintenance costs for all of these are integrated into the price of our products. We try to do as much as we possibly can in-house and we want to share that with you. We aren´t manufacturing where everyone else is.
Q: How do you calculate the wheel?
A: It is more of an indication, a blend of art and science. We look at it every 3 months, how much have we sold per item, what have we made, what do we think we will sell and which channels. We take all of the costs and attribute them to all of the products.
Q: Will you do it again?
A: Let’s see, it’s an experiment so we want to try it, learn and then move on - taking what worked and leaving behind what didn't.
Q: What is Citizenship?
A: We don’t just create products, we’re trying to build a community of changemakers. Citizens are part of a movement that’s reshaping how we care for each other and our planet. By collaborating to address environmental challenges, we can co-create sustainable and innovative solutions. Our decisions make an impact, beyond the checkout and beyond ethical consumerism.
Q:How does the subscription on Tier 2 work?
A: If you purchase a product at Tier 2, we’re locking in the price for six months and so you’ll be subscribing to a monthly recurring order for 6 months at 10% discount off the usual price. The subscription will automatically end after this period and deliveries will be made to your chosen delivery address.
Q: Can I use my local discount?
A: No, you cannot use any other offers in conjunction with the Pay What You Feel campaign.
