If you haven't seen this little update on social media, here's a quick rundown of what happened at SAOLA in 2020 and our goals for 2021!
3 years since SAOLA was born, and what a journey we have come…
2020 was punctuated by COVID-19 but we didn't give up, we adapted and many good things ultimately came out of this troubled year.
- Like everyone else, we've been heavily impacted by COVID. Fortunately, the entire team has been responsive. In addition to providing maximum support to our resellers, our website sales have taken off (really taken off!). This has meant managing our supplies and stock shortages as best we can to best meet your needs. On behalf of the entire team, we're happy to know that we can count on each and every one of you. We can't say it enough, but THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
- Of course, since the beginning of SAOLA, Guillaume has never worked alone (a nod to Mathieu, Maro, Jesse, Xavier and all the freelancers) but 2020 also marks the arrival of the first two employees of SAOLA: Apolline and Maxime . You guessed it, this is synonymous with a very good step forward for SAOLA.
- We donated over $7,000 to the Mwalua Wildlife Trust . Founder Patrick Kilonzo and his team then use this money to dig water sources for wildlife, plant trees, and in 2020 even started setting up beehives to help with pollination as much as possible.
- New materials have emerged at SAOLA. You've probably heard of banana fibers , hevea milk , or even beeswax, which are making the new CANNON BANANA so famous? Well, we're not going to stop there. We're continuing to search for new materials that will revolutionize your vision of the "classic" shoe, and we're on the right track.
- We are working closely with new suppliers in Portugal to offer you new models with materials you might not have suspected existed... Stay tuned because for the moment we won't say more ;)
- 4.7 out of 5 is the average rating you gave us to describe SAOLA and for that, we thank you! In our eyes, this is extremely important. We have therefore taken into account your opinions and feedback to improve the next collections. You will be pleasantly surprised.
- This year also marked the beginning of a new chapter. We moved to new offices , still in Annecy . The result? More space, the ability to have more stock on site and therefore deliver to you more quickly, and enough space to accommodate a host of interns for 2021! We are already delighted to know that young students will be joining us to share our knowledge and values with them.
So, here's a nice little recap of this year. And you know what? We have loads of projects, and here are a few to keep you on your toes:
TOP 5 goals for 2021:
Go get that famous fundraiser that will take SAOLA off to Saturn 🚀
Raise an army of interns and employees by the end of the year
Launch of our first models made in Portugal with unique materials
Appear on the podium of the best eco-designed shoes on your search engine
That you talk about us as much as possible 😉
We hope you understand that 2021 is going to be very dynamic and that you will follow this new chapter of SAOLA closely.
