A message from the boss

We know what you’re probably thinking: “Not another bloody Covid-19 notice”. But we sort of have to give you a quick update just to let you know what we’re doing here at io.

First of all, we’re not medical experts, we’re not scientists and we’re not the government. We just make really good merino stuff so that you can enjoy the outdoors - when you’re allowed to go out there. So if you want advice on how to wash your hands or where to get toilet paper, sorry, we’re not the place to ask.

But we do want to assure you we’re playing our part in doing what we can to ‘flatten the curve’, keep our staff and customers happy and healthy, but also keep our little family owned business alive and our team employed - all of which are quite important to us.

For starters, we have a pretty small team at the best of times, but when people can work from home they’re doing that. Probably in their ioMerino tracky dacks. (Translation: track pants for our overseas friends.) So we’re on skeleton staff here at the office so please be patient if it takes slightly longer to answer your questions or send your orders.

Orders have always been sent by a separate warehouse facility, and we’ve been assured they are complying with every possible government and health regulation to make sure when your orders do go out, they go out having been stored, handled and despatched to the highest possible standards.

We know you’ve always got plenty of choices when it comes to buying your gear for the outdoors, and as if the recent Aussie bushfires weren’t enough to test our local industries, now more than ever we’d ask that you consider each and every buying decision you make. Not just what you buy from us, but everything. If you can buy from a local grocery store rather than a big multinational supermarket, maybe do that. If you can get your gear from a local business that employs local people then if you can, do that. Every sale counts. And it’s the only way some businesses will make it through this.

Many of you will have had adventures and events cancelled, which we know can be incredibly disappointing. But now is also a great time to train, prepare, dream, and research new adventures for when we make it through this challenging time.

And if you can, make sure you enjoy some time outside in nature, in the fresh air, in the wild places we all love so much. Whether it’s alone or with family, or with a person or two assuming that’s still allowed where you are, look after yourselves, and each other.