A San Francisco small business owner is calling a costly mistake by a major retailer a nightmare.
Elenor Mak is the founder of Jilly Bing, a brand of Asian American dolls and toys. The mom of two started it because of the lack of representation while searching for a doll for her own daughter. Soon after launching her business in 2023, her dolls were in major stores like Macy’s.
“It felt like things were great and then, very quickly over the last few weeks things have just become a nightmare for us as we approach the holidays,” Mak said.
She said that began when she and Macy’s were deciding what to do with some of the store’s inventory of her Jilly Bing dolls.
In an October email, a Macy’s representative writes “… the best course of action would be to sell down on the inventory we have …” and not to execute an “RTV” or return to vendor. But then on Nov. 12, Mak got another email from Macy’s stating “… it looks like they accidentally processed the RTV …” and goes on to say they prematurely submitted it.
Mak was now on the hook to pay for the shipping, which costs more than $6,300. She wired it two days before Thanksgiving to get about 170 dolls back.
“For a small business like me, that’s my holiday marketing numbers,” she said. “It’s crushing small businesses like me.”
But that wasn’t the end.
In a Friday email, Mak learned she won’t be able to sell the returned dolls for the holidays because it was “too late to ship for November as the buildings do not ship on Thanksgiving or on Fridays.”
“It was just heartbreaking for me because 70% of my sales in many doll, toy company sales, happen during the holidays and I wouldn’t have inventory,” Mak said.
The U.S. Small Business Administration said 8 in 10 small businesses say the holiday season is important for their overall profit. For many, it’s already been a hard year with inflation and tariffs.
Mak said the higher costs meant in April she paused producing new dolls.
As of Sunday, Mak said she had already sold through her remaining Jilly dolls inventory. Her mixed Asian doll “Riley” is still available.
“I would like to get my dolls and see if I can move any of them, and move them for the holidays,” she said. “I’ve also never been prouder and wanting to fight as a small business owner to make this representation happen.”
The USPS recommended holiday shipping deadline is Dec. 16, so Mak said she wants her dolls fast-tracked. She said if that can’t happen, she wants Macy’s to refund her, keep her inventory and sell it at their commitment of full price.
NBC Bay Area reached out to Macy’s. It sent a statement saying, “At Macy’s, the customer is at the center of our strategy and we are committed to delivering products that best serve our customers. We are always evaluating our product portfolio, adding and editing brands on a regular basis to offer a compelling assortment.”
On Tuesday after NBC Bay Area’s story aired, Mak said Macy’s contacted her. She said the retailer will send her dolls back and she should have them by the end of the week.
