Challenges are just another opportunity, or so they say. As the sole distributor in your region for a very well-known and successful branded consumer product, you are certainly facing a challenge right now, but where is the opportunity? Sales are great because demand is high due to the saturation advertising. The problem is that you are out of stock. It pains you every day to turn away dozens of customers. The prospect of new stock is some weeks into the future. Meanwhile, your employees have little to do, your store is virtually empty, and cash flow is drying up. Then a contact in the same business offers you a solution. He can provide you with the stock you need. Sure, it has foreign packaging, but you cannot ask him about that. The price is great too.
1. These are probably counterfeit or parallel imports. Could they damage your long-term business?
2. Is it wise to buy the counterfeits?
3. Why are some countries far more likely to have a thriving counterfeit market than others? Name some likely countries with a major counterfeits problem.