Going Global

This was an article that ran in the January issue of Tackle Trade World, a international fishing magazine.  The article highlights some of the key components of our new direct to dealer program, intended for dealers outside of the U.S.  I thought I’d share it here for all to enjoy.

Expanding your market globally is a huge task but, if you’re smart, there are things you can do to make it work. Enter Jonathan Paul Eyewear.

As sunglasses firms go, Jonathan Paul Eyewear is a hugely recognisable brand among US anglers. The Texas-based company has built up a reputation for high-quality sunglasses for many years in its homeland. It has also brought innovative products to the market like its Fitovers™ Eyewear sunglasses, originally designed by its Australian arm.

The company is renowned for the extra lengths it goes to, to make retailers’ lives easier and to help them sell through.

But JP Eyewear has an ambition to take its brand to the next level. International export is its target and it has some pretty unique thinking on how to make its brand more accessible to retailers around the world.

The company has come up with a ‘dealer direct programme’ through working with global shipping giant UPS. Tackle Trade World managed to speak with Josh Pearson, the man behind the programme that the company hopes will give it a stepping stone to foreign markets.

What is Fitovers™ Eyewear’s goal for doing business internationally?

Josh Pearson: We intend to have our product more readily available to businesses globally. We would like companies in countries outside of the United States to have the ability to call or e-mail us with an order and be confident that it will arrive in five to seven business days. The world is a large market with many customers who can benefit from Jonathan Paul [JP] Fitovers™ but aren’t able to discover them due to lack of availability in many countries.

What is Fitovers™ Eyewear doing to accomplish this goal?

JP: We have devised a plan to make it easy for accounts outside of the US to order JP Fitovers™. We have put together a variety of packages, including different amounts of JP Fitovers™ and a free display. The price of these packages includes all the charges for shipping, duties, and brokerage fees, so that the shipment arrives right to the customer’s door.

Due to countries having different duty and VAT [Value Added Tax] rates, we have different pricing for each one.(The package options and pricing appear in the box on the left.)

When will this programme be available?

JP: Today is the day. We sat down with UPS a few weeks ago to negotiate the shipping, duty, and tax rates to several different countries exactly, so we can offer one price per package to take it directly from our warehouse here in the US to the customer’s door without having to pay any added fees.

Why did you choose UPS?

JP: We teamed up with UPS to achieve the best possible shipping rates. UPS beat out several competitor’s rates, which really helped to make this programme lucrative for dealers outside of the US. Beyond this, UPS offers an excellent service, which ensures that a shipment will arrive safely and on time.

How can these dealers order?

JP: Simply contact me [details are at the bottom of the page]. When e-mailing, be sure to include which option you’d like and whether you’d like to pay by Visa or Mastercard. Upon receipt of e-mail, I will respond with confirmation followed by a UPS Tracking Number as soon as the package ships. The retailer can expect delivery within five to seven business days.

Why is JP™ Eyewear so adamant about dealing direct to retailers?

JP: Dealing direct to the retailer saves money, shortens delivery time, increases product selection, lowers costs and increases profit. By ordering form Jonathan Paul Eyewear™, the dealer has access to all 10 of our frame styles/sizes and all 23 selectable colours. Having a good selection for the customer to choose from is a key ingredient to success with selling Fitovers™ Eyewear. We appeal to men and women of all ages.

Contact:
Josh Pearson
T:+1.512.366.6934
E:josh@jpeyewear.com
W:www.fitovers.com