#186 2025 Retrospective (28/12/2025)

As we approach the final days of 2025, it's time for a look back. I accomplished a lot this year, starting with January:

January 2025: The new bed sheets were still in a problematic phase, including some issues with the stitching, such as uneven seams, the drawstring on the bottom frame tearing in the washing machine, the metal tips on the drawstring potentially damaging the walls, loose bottom clasps, and the side pocket in the middle of the bed causing people to trip and fall when getting out of bed at night. (All of these issues have now been completely resolved by changing the materials and manufacturing process). In terms of management, we were constantly running out of stock. At the time, we only had one cartoon-themed Dustykid sheet, one map sheet, and several solid colors – just a few designs, and not many sheets available. We couldn't manage them effectively, and they kept running out of stock. Every day was a constant struggle to solve emergency problems and put out fires. We worked late into the night every night.

February 2025: Started working on a new cartoon, Coronya the Bread Cat from SAN-X Japan. Not many people knew it, but it was incredibly cute and very popular with customers. Originally, I planned to post a video on February 10th showing myself working on the cartoon, photographing it on the computer while working on Coronya, thinking it would be a great preview. However, due to a lack of experience in producing licensed cartoons, there were many licensing procedures involved, and it didn't finish until May. Those three months were very tough.

March 2025: Filmed a bed sheet changing ad that I wrote, directed, and acted in. Also, during my first work trip to Shanghai this year, I had some free time one night and stumbled upon a xiaolongbao (soup dumpling) place called "Lai Lai Xiaolong," located on a back street behind Nanjing Road. It was delicious. I repeat, it was delicious. After that, every time I went to Shanghai for work, I had to eat there. I recommend it to everyone. March also marked my first roadshow at the Qianse store in Yuen Long. Although there hasn't been a next time, it was a great experience, and I'll see if I have the chance again.

April 2025: First roadshow at Yat Tin, Sha Tin, from April to May. It was a great attempt, but ultimately nothing came of it. If you see this at Yat Tin, please contact me. Visited the SAA Society for the Protection of Abandoned Animals in Yuen Long. After the visit, I learned about their difficulties and wanted to do something for them, which led to the old bed sheet recycling program (later, because the association had collected enough supplies, and colleagues discovered that some people with malicious intent were wrapping cockroaches and potentially toxic substances in the bed sheets to poison animals, so it was forced to stop). The new bed sheets also won the Hong Kong Smart Design Awards. Disney contacted me, noticing our efforts and seeking collaboration.

May 2025: Finally, the Coronya bread cat from SAN-X Japan was released, along with a new version of Base, resolving various issues mentioned in January. Over the past few months, we've also begun implementing some system improvements to make daily operations smoother and reduce stockouts. We started the old bed sheet recycling program for the SAA (Society for the Protection of Abandoned Animals) mentioned above. We also had a booth at the home furnishing exhibition at the end of May.

June 2025: We were almost ready to open a shop in Holland Plaza, but in the end, we couldn't reach an agreement. This was because we had already discovered problems with collecting old bed sheets, so we stopped. I started helping SAA think about how we could create some products to help them raise funds, and not just short-term like charity sales, but long-term. So we worked together, and at the same time, we were designing a collaborative floral pattern based on The Little Prince.

July 2025: Opened a pop-up shop in Tuen Mun Town Plaza. Due to lack of funds, a few colleagues and I did the decoration and setup ourselves. At first, we thought it would be okay, but the last night was incredibly tiring, especially dismantling and moving the mall's construction hoardings. Those hoardings were so heavy; it was exhausting. But the shop opened smoothly on schedule. The SAA collaboration series was launched, and 20% of the cost of the products will be directly donated to the SAA Society for the Protection of Abandoned Animals. At the same time, we started a shopping points reward program. Actually, we'd wanted to do this for several years, and this year we finally got it done. Finally, we have something that can actually give back to customers without making a complicated and annoying membership program, which I myself really don't like.

August 2025: The designs for the Le Petit Prince collaboration series were largely finalized, and samples were started. The designs were stunning, far surpassing previous ones. The Lok Fu Plaza project was started and considered. Simultaneously, a barcode system was implemented to help manage inventory and reduce errors in store sales.

September 2025: Started trying to work on the Disney series, but there were many obstacles. In Ngau Tau Kok, I ate at a cha chaan teng called "Kam Fan Koon". The salt and pepper pork chop fried rice was amazing. It was so delicious. If you work in the area, you must try it.

October 2025: Because I started to struggle with the back-office work, one of my colleagues, Oscar, who was originally on the front lines, came back to help out. At first, he came one day a week, then two or three days a week, and gradually adapted. Now he comes every day and is a great help. Although there were some mistakes and he wasn't very skilled at first, he also came from our shop, so he is very familiar with the products and the shop's needs. This has made our back-office work, which might not have been as closely connected with the front-office work, much more efficient and collaborative in the company.

November 2025: Le Petit Prince collection launched. This was our first attempt at a collaboration with an international brand, and the response exceeded our expectations. The blue Le Petit Prince bag is still sold out. Thank you for your support. 

December 2025: The Winnie the Pooh series launches. It's my first time releasing a Disney series, and it feels a bit magical. A few years ago, I always felt, "These opportunities aren't for me," wondering why a company as big as Disney would even notice someone like me... But today, I actually have this opportunity, and I feel a small honor. At the same time, we also opened a shop in Lok Fu Plaza, bringing our total number of shops to five. Many people mistakenly think that opening shops is about making money, but that's not the case. I'm still a very ordinary person; I just want to do something good... But this is truly difficult. I hope it works out.