Why are some SNAZAROO products only available in the United Kingdom and other products only available in the United States?
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This frequently asked question is something I'd like to address formally in a FAQ so I do not have to respond to it over and over in e-mails. We at SNAZAROO understand that it can be sometimes confusing to our worldwide customer base when you can find some of the products in some locations and others in different countries. Where I can only speak for SNAZAROO USA Inc. I think I can explain this in order to help you the consumer understand the situation better. SNAZAROO in the United Kingdom holds the rights to all international distribution. If you look at the SNAZAROO "world page" at http://www.snazaroo.us/world.htm you will see that there are distribution agreements made in many countries.
SNAZAROO United Kingdom, has the authority to approve or reject any items distributed by the distributors. They also ensure that these distributors also carry at least the basics of the SNAZAROO product line. In turn, if one of these independent distributors has a product they would like to add to their line it is always offered to the UK as a product for consideration, not only for their country, but for the UK and all SNAZAROO distributors. Items that could be construed as a competitive item or something that they felt would not fit into the quality standards of SNAZAROO might be rejected. The safety of a product is certainly key to this decision.
With all of this said, sometimes a product that is developed in the USA for the USA customer base, might be approved for sale in the USA/Canada/Mexico but the UK or the other countries might not be willing to bring that particular product into their country. A good example of this is the face painting stamp line that is currently only sold from SNAZAROO USA Inc. We do well with this product and we have done well with it for years. To date, none of the other international distributors have taken on this line. That is a distributor's choice.
One must also understand that there is a territorial agreement made with all distributors. We all agree that we will not sell our products into any of the other legitimate worldwide distributor's geographical territory. We follow this rule religiously. If a product is sold outside our territory, into the territory of another worldwide distributor, it is done with the full approval of the host country's distributor. For example on the face painting stamps, SNAZAROO United Kingdom has approved SNAZAROO USA the right to mail order these products into the UK. If they later decided to take on this line, or for that maters decided to ask us to no longer sell this product into their country, then we would stop immediately. Some products like the USA's "28 color palette" have been available for several years. The UK has opted to not take on this product. Because this item is "product related" (it is primarily face paints) it would be considered a competitive product and therefore we simply would not accept an order in our USA office to ship this item to the United Kingdom (or any of the other countries with a distribution agreement). It is just a matter of common sense and a sense of fair play among world wide distributors.
It can at times get a little confusing. An example that applies is the SNAZAROO UK's "Professional Face Painter's Kits" that can be found in their catalogue. Because of high shipping costs, tariffs and other related costs we in the USA have not taken on their form of the professional kits. Instead we developed our own line of professional kits such at the "Cafeteria Kit" line and the popular Mom's, the Jr. Kit and the Party Kit to meet the needs of our market. Again, this is done with the blessing of SNAZAROO UK.
When each individual country comes up with a new product idea it is always shared with SNAZAROO in the United Kingdom. They also share their new ideas with us. They then approve the product (or visa versa) and it is up to the countries' distributor to accept the item, share the item with the other distribution countries or even ignore the product all together. Each country needs to decide for themselves if a particular item would sell well in their country. The marketing strategies from country to country can be quite diverse. Sometimes there is also the thought of "wait and see". In other words they might wait for a six or twelve month period to see the track record is on that particular product is. SNAZAROO USA presented and sold the "Tattoo Marker Line" for a two year period with results that made us decide to drop the line. Because our sales were relatively low, they opted to never have the line. On other items like the peel and stick gems we offered them in the USA for well over a year before the UK opted to give them a limited try. If the sales go well in their territory then they could permanently add the line, expand it or drop it as they see fit.
This works both ways. An appropriate example is the creme and liquid paints that are available in the UK as well as several other countries. We in the USA opted to not add these full lines.
One thing that makes this frustrating is the fact that the world seems to be getting smaller and smaller. The "discussion list for face painters" as found on the SNAZAROO site (at http://www.snazaroo.us/email.htm ) has brought the face painting world closer together. As the discussion of new products launched in the USA, hit the discussion list, it is natural for face painter's in France, the UK or elsewhere to want to try these products. Sometimes you just have to ask if it is ok for us to ship this or that product into your country. MOST of the time, especially if it is face painting product related (like the new "face painting color wheel" ™ or "walk around palette" ™ ( http://www.snazaroo.us/wheel.htm )) we can not. So where does that leave you in your thirst for a new product? All I can tell you is you can talk to the SNAZAROO agent in YOUR COUNTRY and tell them you have an interest in the new product. Based on the comments they hear, they will consider one of the following... 1) they can add it themselves, 2) they will allow the country that has the product to sell to you directly, 3) they might bring in a small quantity just for you, 4) they might bring in a larger quantity as a test for their country, 5) they can wait and see first how the product does in the host country or 6) they might tell you that at this time they have no interest in bringing in that product. You have to understand it is a simple business question for them. Just because nachos sell well in Dallas, Texas in the United States it does not mean they will sell well in Paris, France. It is only fair that they get to decide where to put their inventory dollars and what to stack on their shelves. So when in doubt, just contact your host SNAZAROO agent as found at http://www.snazaroo.us/world.htm or contact SNAZAROO UK directly as the world headquarters for international distribution.
Not to beat this to death but this also applies to resellers within each country. No doubt we would like each reseller to stock the full SNAZAROO line. This however is unrealistic since we carry over 500 different products. Each reseller is selling our products to their particular target market. Many stores carry only the popular "Rainbow Palette". Even the larger volume resellers carry only a portion of our line. If you find a product on our website ( http://www.snazaroo.us/products.htm ) that is not in your favorite store then we suggest you ask the store manager or your supplier if they would either add this to their existing line or at least special order your desired item when they place their next order. MOST resellers are willing to do this and the worldwide distributor I'm pretty sure would be happy to fill this request. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER FOR YOU TO BUY FROM YOUR LOCAL SUPPLIER because in most cases you get to see and feel the products. Often they can point to you several things you should take into consideration in your purchase. On top of that most likely you save on shipping and the goods are instantly in your hands.
Well, I hope this helps put this question to rest. If you have further specific questions or comments feel free to e-mail me at gary@snazaroo.com or e-mail your worldwide distributor directly.
