Looking Back on 2020 and Pushing Forward
We made it to the end of a year unlike any other.
The community that is Armoire came together to keep us going in 2020. You sent us ideas. You embraced renting comfy clothes. You posted photos of your smiling faces. You encouraged us. You spent your dollars with us, and you kept us strong.
And because of you, we did more than just keep going.
In 2020, we:
- Launched and welcomed thousands of Looks to the PWR Feed, a first-of-its-kind sharing experience that celebrates real women. I love scrolling through the stream of positivity and kindness every morning — it’s one of my favorite parts of my day. Thank you. 🙏🏽
- Shipped tens of thousands of packages to every state in the country, while pivoting our operations for COVID-19 and keeping our staff safe.
- Raised the hourly wages of our warehouse folks by 11% after the onset of the pandemic .
- Onboarded 3 new women-owned brands, 2 of which are run by Black women.
- Continued (and continue) to cover healthcare for our staff on standby.
We made it. Or did we make it?
What does making it even mean?
In the most absolute sense, we didn’t make it. Our human family lost so many – too many – this year. And the weight of that is heavy and real, and our compassion is the only thing the rest of us can offer to those now incomplete families that have been forever changed by 2020.
As a society, we didn’t make it either. The injustice and inequality that has underpinned the world we live in for too long was brought in to sharp view. Our inequitable treatment of Black Americans didn’t start this year, but it didn’t end either. The incredible profit creation by the few at the expense of the many is sharply focused in our shuttered restaurants and swelling unemployment, juxtaposed with a soaring stock market and unprecedented asymmetric value concentration.
But here we are. Marching on, with deep gratitude and hope in our hearts. Because of you.
This last year showed me that as a community we really can create a reality that we feel proud of. A place where we celebrate ourselves and each other. A place where we take care of one another because we can. A place where joy is real, even in the darkest of hours.
I am deeply grateful for the faith you have placed in Armoire by inviting us to be a part of your life, and I am committed to continuing to earn your loyalty in the months and years to come. I know that together we will continue to deliver joy to our Armoire community, one shared dress at a time.
With gratitude and hope for a better 2021,
Ambika and the Armoire Team
