With rising shipping costs, new tariffs, and ongoing uncertainty, we’ve made the tough call not to release a USA timezone Moon Journal for 2026. Instead, we’ll offer a single GMT edition with timezone conversion support. In this post, Hayley shares the reasons behind the decision and a message of hope for our moon-loving community worldwide. 🌕✨
Greetings Moon Lovers!
You don't need me to tell you that it's turbulent times for international trade at the moment. It's primarily for this reason that I'm afraid we won't be developing a USA timezone Moon Journal this year.
WHY NOT?
Postal costs
We have been shipping from our H.Q in Cornwall, UK for the last year and as soon as Royal Mail negotiated us better international shipping rates - they then put prices up nationwide making them even higher than before. We have no idea how this will effect consumer behaviour, or if in fact the shipping costs will increase again.
Tariffs
Unless you've been living under a rock recently then you'll know there's now new tariffs placed on goods being imported into the USA from elsewhere. Although the UK is less effected than some other countries, the impact will still be felt for our small business.
Uncertainty
Ultimately, not knowing what impact these changes will have or if the goalposts will continue to change creates too much uncertainty. Printing a load of Moon Journals in a US timezone and then not being able to sell them, is more than a little nerve-wracking.
BUT I LIVE IN THE USA AND WILL WANT A 2026 MOON JOURNAL? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
Single Version
We will print one single version in British Standard Time (GMT) and this new edition will have a page dedicated to timezone conversions. Once you know your conversion (i.e New York is minus 5 hours) you can account for that when looking at any of the transitions or timings in the book.
Shipping USA wide
We will continue to ship to the USA using Royal Mail or other couriers for larger orders. We will aim to keep the costs as low as we can but ultimately we have to set our prices based on external factors.
CAN'T YOU COME BACK TO THE USA AND HAVE A FACILITY OVER HERE LIKE YOU DID BEFORE?
No, not yet..
For those of you who are new to MPS, we did in fact have a fulfilment center in Phoenix Arizona until 2024. There were multiple reasons why this didn't work for us; exchange rates, raising a small family, sourcing and funding inventory etc.
We were lucky to have been so well received in the USA and still have many of our loyal customers still supporting us.
When this little business has blossomed from being a start-up, when the kids are a little bit older and the time is right...Matt and I do plan on making our mark on American soil again - just not yet.
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In summary, we are loathed to have to pass on any negative implications to our customers and will continue to do whatever we can to provide you with the best possible products at the best price.
I don't want to point the finger or make this a political post with negative connotations. And I don't know how you feel about the guy-at-the-top whose making these decisions, but I can assume that you must feel pretty passionate about it.
And in general passion is a great thing; it's apathy which actually really sucks. It's when passion teeters into anger it causes problems.
So keep your passion alive, and remember to keep moon gazing through it all!
Much love Hayley and the MPS team x