OPI no longer sold wholesale/online

[ruthless]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sabrunka Yah if anyone needs, I live in Canada and have access to a store which is for licensed hair stylists or estheticians ONLY, and the opi polishes are 5.50-6$ each.

I think that there are certain items that have to ship by ground, perhaps that is why. I've never had issues with my orders from wholesalers but I only do ground shipping. IE if you have a massive amount of nail polish and related chemicals it can be labelled as "dangerous goods" so they pull it if it's shipped by air? Don't know.

I understand that salons make good money off of retail sales, which is why there is a big markup on prices. Like tanning lotions, for instance (don't get me started it's about a 200percent markup from manufacturer thru distributor to you) but the internet has essentially gotten rid of that. People are used to at least cutting out a portion of the markups nowadays and it's not good business to force people into it. Online nail polish geeks like me represent a small ding in sales-they're still going to sell polish at salons, just maybe not so much of the crap. I can tell you that all of the highly desirable colours of the last two OPI collections are nowhere to be seen at any salon up here. I bought my 250 dollar flat iron on folica.com because no brand or price could even come NEAR it locally. I buy my nail polish online because it's less than half the price of retailers around me, this includes sallys. And I still do buy polish in salons/stores just only when it's on sale.

 

[macgirl3121]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicala Off topic, but if I get an esthetician license and go to Cosmoprof, could I also buy hair dye like redken, matrix, etc?

As long as you have a license within the beauty industry Cosmoprof will let you purchase anything in the store, even if it is outside the scope of your license. Guess as long as you don't set up shop on the web then you are cool.

OPI has only ever sold thier products to professional beauty supplys, salons or authorized retail outlets. Diversion has been a problem for OPI for the longest time. They want their product represented and sold a certain way.

As much as you guys think that this sucks, it sucks for salons that retail OPI and can't move it because the etailers are selling the polish for $5 a bottle and OPI is NOT distributing thier product directly to these etailers. Diversion has been a problem for many many years in the beauty industry. With the emergence of etailers the problem has taken a different turn. They are not able to chase down every asian beauty supply that sells OPI (and they do. Ya'll can still pick it up there but not at Transdesign prices). Etailers are easier to find and thus an easier target to hit in terms of sending out cease and desists.

Here is OPI's stance on diversion if anyone cares to read it.

Stop Diversion Now!
OPI takes the safety and well-being of our trade and consumer customers very seriously, and has dedicated itself to providing them with the finest Professional Beauty products available today.
That is why OPI is so passionate about fighting diversion. Diversion is the sale of Professional products outside of Professional beauty channels. OPI has spent tens of millions of dollars in the fight against diversion, to ensure that our OPI brand professional-use products are used only under the supervision of trained professionals.
OPI brand products are intended for sale in professional beauty (salon) channels. We sell them to distributors or wholesalers who sell exclusively in those channels. Those distributors, in turn, sell exclusively to salons. OPI brand products sold outside these channels are improperly obtained and in violation of our agreements and commitments to distributors and salons. Unfortunately, those diverted products may not be current, or may be improperly and illegally labeled or of inferior quality, or may even be fake or counterfeit. OPI only guarantees or stands behind products sold through authorized channels. For OPI brand products, these do not include mass retail channels, the Internet, drug stores, or grocery stores.
Diversion ultimately hurts both salon professionals and salon clients. In addition, it deprives consumers of the professional care and advice that are necessary to enjoy these professional-use products.
OPI’s efforts to fight diversion include:

• 
  Agreements with distributors that prohibit the sale of OPI brand products outside professional channels
  Coding systems to help trace diverted product
  Pursuing leads that we receive about the unauthorized sale of OPI products
  Supporting industry-wide anti-diversion efforts
  A program to track down and take legal and other action against divertors, including the use of private investigators and lawyers
  A dedicated staff with a toll-free number and email address to record and follow- up on diversion reports

You can help. Should you become aware of what you believe to be diverted OPI brand product, please contact OPI at 800-341.9999 or at [email protected]. Please provide your name, the name of the store in which you saw what you believe to be diverted product, the address of the store, and the products.

 

[Nicala]

Quote:

Originally Posted by macgirl3121 As long as you have a license within the beauty industry Cosmoprof will let you purchase anything in the store, even if it is outside the scope of your license. Guess as long as you don't set up shop on the web then you are cool.

Ooh thank you

And, Wow @ OPI.

 

[j4lyphe]

awww this sucks, no more opi for me then, transdesign and 8ty8beauty were the only places i bought opi from...the only opi i bought at full price (trade secret) was lincoln park after dark but thats because i LOVE the colour but now i dont think ill be shelling out $10 for opi, that seems ridiculous to me- add $5 to that and i could buy a MAC e/s!

 

[Susanne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicala I think this is a pretty stupid move in OPI's part. Seriously.

OPI is way too expensive here - they won't sell a lot any more without these online opportunities, especially for us international customers!

 

[Nicala]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susanne OPI is way too expensive here - they won't sell a lot any more without these online opportunities, especially for us international customers!

Yeah I know everything is really expensive in Europe! I went to a Sephora in Italy and was amazed at how much everything cost.. it was at least double in price, if not more than in the US. Not only OPI is going to be losing money, but also loyal customers. With the economy how it is right now, they should be happy they're selling nail polish. It's a "luxury" item and not a necessity like toilet paper for example.

If I were in charge of OPI, I would rather earn a little bit than earn none at all. They're digging themselves into a whole.

 

[ruthless]

Quote:

Originally Posted by macgirl3121 As long as you have a license within the beauty industry Cosmoprof will let you purchase anything in the store, even if it is outside the scope of your license. Guess as long as you don't set up shop on the web then you are cool. OPI has only ever sold thier products to professional beauty supplys, salons or authorized retail outlets. Diversion has been a problem for OPI for the longest time. They want their product represented and sold a certain way. As much as you guys think that this sucks, it sucks for salons that retail OPI and can't move it because the etailers are selling the polish for $5 a bottle and OPI is NOT distributing thier product directly to these etailers. Diversion has been a problem for many many years in the beauty industry. With the emergence of etailers the problem has taken a different turn. They are not able to chase down every asian beauty supply that sells OPI (and they do. Ya'll can still pick it up there but not at Transdesign prices). Etailers are easier to find and thus an easier target to hit in terms of sending out cease and desists. Here is OPI's stance on diversion if anyone cares to read it. Stop Diversion Now! OPI takes the safety and well-being of our trade and consumer customers very seriously, and has dedicated itself to providing them with the finest Professional Beauty products available today. That is why OPI is so passionate about fighting diversion. Diversion is the sale of Professional products outside of Professional beauty channels. OPI has spent tens of millions of dollars in the fight against diversion, to ensure that our OPI brand professional-use products are used only under the supervision of trained professionals. OPI brand products are intended for sale in professional beauty (salon) channels. We sell them to distributors or wholesalers who sell exclusively in those channels. Those distributors, in turn, sell exclusively to salons. OPI brand products sold outside these channels are improperly obtained and in violation of our agreements and commitments to distributors and salons. Unfortunately, those diverted products may not be current, or may be improperly and illegally labeled or of inferior quality, or may even be fake or counterfeit. OPI only guarantees or stands behind products sold through authorized channels. For OPI brand products, these do not include mass retail channels, the Internet, drug stores, or grocery stores. Diversion ultimately hurts both salon professionals and salon clients. In addition, it deprives consumers of the professional care and advice that are necessary to enjoy these professional-use products. OPI’s efforts to fight diversion include: Agreements with distributors that prohibit the sale of OPI brand products outside professional channels Coding systems to help trace diverted product Pursuing leads that we receive about the unauthorized sale of OPI products Supporting industry-wide anti-diversion efforts A program to track down and take legal and other action against divertors, including the use of private investigators and lawyers A dedicated staff with a toll-free number and email address to record and follow- up on diversion reports You can help. Should you become aware of what you believe to be diverted OPI brand product, please contact OPI at 800-341.9999 or at [email protected]. Please provide your name, the name of the store in which you saw what you believe to be diverted product, the address of the store, and the products.

Except that there is no proof that Trans Design or Head2toe IS diverted product. They're wholesalers who sell online and simply don't require a beauty liscence number to make a purchase. What etailers like TD are are distributors.

The reason diversion is a problem in the beauty industry is because they more than any other industry use distributors between manufacturers and salons. They mark up the price, sell it to salons who again mark up the price to customers. OPI and many, many other manufacterers could solve the "problem" if they sold directly to salons. But they like any other corporation just want the money. So they produce crates of the stuff and ship it out to whoever, then issue statements of concern that "regular" people like myself decide they would rather buy two OPI polishes online than one in a salon because their money is hard earned and we think a 200% markup from manufactuer to customer is bullshit.

Why should I pay full retail at a salon for a nail polish when I'm already getting services done there (with tip I might add, and at 20 %) and I can get it for less online? The internet is change, and businesses that can't or won't adjust to it are going to fail


I suppose the point of my whining (yes, I'm whining. WHINE!) is that in the end everyone loses out because I won't buy OPI at retail prices in salons anyways because I KNOW how much it costs at the distributor level, and if I can't buy it that way online well...

 

[meika79]

OPI must be coming out with some pretty unique colors if they think people are going to pay $9 and up for a bunch of reds and pinks.

I am highly annoyed though, online is where I purchased all of my OPI polishes. The closest spot by me that sells OPI is 10 miles away and they didn't even have the Alice in Wonderland collection

 

[kimmy]

i read about this the day i found out about etailers.

 

[macgirl3121]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruthless Except that there is no proof that Trans Design or Head2toe IS diverted product. They're wholesalers who sell online and simply don't require a beauty liscence number to make a purchase. What etailers like TD are are distributors. The reason diversion is a problem in the beauty industry is because they more than any other industry use distributors between manufacturers and salons. They mark up the price, sell it to salons who again mark up the price to customers. OPI and many, many other manufacterers could solve the "problem" if they sold directly to salons. But they like any other corporation just want the money. So they produce crates of the stuff and ship it out to whoever, then issue statements of concern that "regular" people like myself decide they would rather buy two OPI polishes online than one in a salon because their money is hard earned and we think a 200% markup from manufactuer to customer is bullshit. Why should I pay full retail at a salon for a nail polish when I'm already getting services done there (with tip I might add, and at 20 %) and I can get it for less online? The internet is change, and businesses that can't or won't adjust to it are going to fail I suppose the point of my whining (yes, I'm whining. WHINE!) is that in the end everyone loses out because I won't buy OPI at retail prices in salons anyways because I KNOW how much it costs at the distributor level, and if I can't buy it that way online well...

Guess you won't be shopping at Walmart either. Thier markup is easily more than 200% on an item mass produced in China for mere pennies per item. Welcome to capitalism.

 

[ruthless]

Quote:

Originally Posted by macgirl3121 Guess you won't be shopping at Walmart either. Thier markup is easily more than 200% on an item mass produced in China for mere pennies per item. Welcome to capitalism.

Your comment is little more than forum trolling but I will point out that Walmart doesn't use distributors the same way the beauty industry does. I'd also like to point out that etailers are making full use of "capitalism" by selling OPI online at the prices they do, so I'm familiar with the system.


For the internet savvy ladies who just found out about polish etailers I feel your pain! Sorry you're missing out on something good. Lots of nail polish blogs (google scrangie, nailphile, polish or perish) will post if a polish is in their opinion easily dupe-able.

I can see this thread turning into an unhealthy discussion on consumer rights so I'll bow out now-good luck ladies on your discounted OPI searches!

 

[macgirl3121]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruthless Your comment is little more than forum trolling but I will point out that Walmart doesn't use distributors the same way the beauty industry does. I'd also like to point out that etailers are making full use of "capitalism" by selling OPI online at the prices they do, so I'm familiar with the system. For the internet savvy ladies who just found out about polish etailers I feel your pain! Sorry you're missing out on something good. Lots of nail polish blogs (google scrangie, nailphile, polish or perish) will post if a polish is in their opinion easily dupe-able. I can see this thread turning into an unhealthy discussion on consumer rights so I'll bow out now-good luck ladies on your discounted OPI searches!

I don't need to post outrageous statements to provoke response. My response is from the point of view of a professional in the beauty business on the other side of this issue.

I'm well aware that Walmart does not use distrubustors. My comment was in response to yours about insane markups and Walmart probably has the most insane markups to be found currently in the marketplace.

 

[LionQueen]

opi's statement that " In addition, it deprives consumers of the professional care and advice that are necessary to enjoy these professional-use products."

is BS. Come on, do I really need "proffessional advice" on how to use a bottle of nail polish? Give me a break.

I think it's a dumb move on OPI's part. I never buy OPI in stores - I just dont want to spend 9 dollars on one nail polish. I'm going to buy some from Transdesign's liquidation sale, and then that's it. As others have mentioned, there are plenty of other polish brands to choose from

 

[user79]

It sucks mostly for us international gals because OPI costs over $20 a bottle here and we usually have a crappy selection, not a lot of variety. Well, I just won't be buying OPI anymore.

TransDesign also stopped their cheap international shipping, so I guess it's just ebay for us international peeps.

I just won't be buying OPI anymore. I was already paying like $7 or $8 a bottle before including the shipping cost, but $20 for OPI, hell no!

 

[LMD84]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissChievous It sucks mostly for us international gals because OPI costs over $20 a bottle here and we usually have a crappy selection, not a lot of variety. Well, I just won't be buying OPI anymore. TransDesign also stopped their cheap international shipping, so I guess it's just ebay for us international peeps. I just won't be buying OPI anymore. I was already paying like $7 or $8 a bottle before including the shipping cost, but $20 for OPI, hell no!

it really does suck for us!

i too was thinking of using ebay in the future... however i hear horror stories about polishes being faked just like you get mac fakes now. Darn you OPI! i think they'll loose alot of customers by doing this. I think it's all down to their greed and them not liking the polish being sold for half the price they'd like on websites. In the uk it costs £9 for a bottle which is crazy - i could buy a huge sack of cat litter for that!

 

[danigurl]

While OPI has published their policy on diversion, as many of you know, most don't understand the complexities that weren't published.

OPI, many years ago, had some of their polish produced in China (I have a few that have the chinese characters). This was, of

course, based on product costs. While most OPI was produced in the states, supply and demand grew exponentially.

It was much cheaper to have the polish made in China while OPI built a bigger factory.

The Chinese contractors only produced the polish for a little over 3 years before OPI started making it all in the US.

However the damage was done. The Chinese contractors now had the bottle shapes and dimensions, character fonts, product and

label knowledge they needed to sell the product on the black market. What started out as a few bottles here and there, has now

exploded into the "fake" opi products and they are EVERYWHERE. The most heavily trafficked sales, you guessed it, are online.

OPI has no choice but to hinder online sales due to consumers buying fake products. This is the only way to make sure these

unscrupulous sellers are taken OUT. The only online venue that has thus far escaped the banishment is Ebay. OPI monitors Ebay. I

know because I sell there. That isn't to say there aren't fake OPI dealers on Ebay, because there certainly are. As more and more

e-tailers are forced to shut down their OPI sales, they too will head to Ebay. Some legit, like myself and some not. I may not like

being just another seller on FeeBay but I do understand why OPI is fighting back.