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Dear Valued Hobby Store Owner,
Last week, Topps announced a planned renovation to our HTA Program to our Distributor Partners. Our new program will be effective in July 2013. A summary of the new program is outlined below and on the attached. We are contacting you to advise that our HTA Renovation may affect your direct buying account with Topps. Please read the following information carefully to determine in your account may be impacted by this renovation.
Summary Changes: HTA Renovation for Direct Customers
There are three primary components that may affect your direct buying account:
1. All Direct Customers must submit Recertification Forms. The necessary forms to complete recertification are attached. (See: Topps Direct Buying Account Recertification Form and Topps Direct Buying Account Trade Terms and Conditions). All stores must complete these forms and submit to Topps by October 1, 2013. If these documents are not received complete, your ToppsPro Account will be deactivated on December 31, 2013.
2. New Minimum Performance Requirements: Effective July 2013, Topps will be enforcing minimum performance requirements for Direct Customers. All current Direct Customers will have until December 31, 2013 to meet new performance requirements. If your store does meet new performance requirements, your direct buying account will remain active with Topps. If your store does not meet new performance requirements, your store will no longer be eligible to purchase direct from Topps, you will be referred to a distributor and your ToppsPro account will be deactivated by January 31, 2014. To remain a direct buying account, stores must meet BOTH of the following requirements by December 31, 2013:
a. Generate purchase volume from Topps within the top 250 direct buying customers.
b. NOTE: While annual performance requirements may vary to remain within the top 250 direct customers, for your reference, to remain a direct customer in 2012, stores would have needed to purchase a minimum of $30K from Topps in 2012.
c. Purchase from Topps a minimum of 10 different product releases per year
3. New MVP: As the performance requirements will be higher for Direct Customers than NonDirect customers, all current Tops Direct Customers will transition out of the HTA Program and into our NEW MVP Program in July 2013. This program is similar to HTA where stores receive promotional materials but MVP Stores will receive additional benefits as well. Attached, you will find a document outlining benefits for Topps MVP Customers including access to ALL Topps Hobby Channel promotion, automatic opt-in to receive promotional materials and support for in-store events/activities. The HTA Program will remain intact for NonDirect Stores that meet specific performance requirements.
There are three possible outcomes for all Direct Customers on December 31, 2013,
1. YES, my store DID meet performance requirements: Your store will continue on in the new MVP program in January 2014. Your store will have until December 31, 2014 to meet annual performance requirements again.
2. No, my store DID NOT meet performance requirements: You will receive a notification from Topps that your account did not meet minimum performance requirements by January 2014. You will have until January 31, 2014 to transition to an Authorized Topps Hobby Store Distributor (we will provide you a list). Your ToppsPro account will be deactivated on January 31, 2014 and you will no longer be able to purchase direct from Topps. A Distributor may contact you to set up a Topps Authorized NonDirect Hobby Account.
3. I did not submit my recertification forms by October 1[SUP]st[/SUP]: Your ToppsPro Account will be deactived on December 31, 2013 whether your store meets performance requirements or not.
In the event that your store must transition to a NonDirect Account, please be aware of the following changes to our NonDirect Program under the HTA Renovation
Summary Changes: HTA Renovation for NonDirect Customers
1. NonDirect Hobby Store Registration Form: All brick/mortar hobby stores with a valid Certificate of Resale must have this form completed to be added to the Topps NonDirect Hobby Store Database and to be acknowledged as an Authorized Topps NonDirect Hobby Store. This form must be signed by the Hobby Store Owner and the Distributor Owner. Only Authorized Topps Hobby Distributors may submit this form on behalf of Hobby Stores.
2. Distributor of Record: When registering as a NonDirect Hobby Store, all Hobby Stores will be required to choose a Distributor of Record. The Distributor of Record simply means that the distributor that registers your NonDirect store with Topps is authorized to communicate with Topps on your behalf. In certain instances, they may also collect promotional information and materials for you as well. You may only have one Distributor or Record. However, you may continue to purchase from which ever distributor(s) you prefer. The Distributor of Record will primarily serve to help facilitate communication between Topps and your store.
3. New HTA Requirements: Effective July 2013, only stores submitted by their Distributor or Record to receive promotional materials will be part of HTA and eligible to participate in future promotions. Promotional materials may be shipped directly to Distributors and they will be responsible for ensuring these materials are provided to HTA stores. Distributors may request promotional materials for up to 25 stores. However, the stores must meet BOTH the following requirements:
a. Minimum of twenty thousand ($20K) dollars in purchases from the Distributor of Record annually
b. Minimum of ten (10) different product releases purchased from Distributor of record annually
Stores that do not meet these performance requirements will not be considered HTA and may not receive promotional materials. However, if registered, stores will be acknowledged as an Authorized Topps NonDirect Hobby Store and may have the opportunity to move into HTA with a Topps Authorized Hobby Distributor in the future.
For now, you may only need to focus on recertification and meeting minimum performance requirements by December 31, 2013 in order to remain a direct customer. Topps will contact you later in the year or early January 2014 if your store will be required to transition to a distributor. Please be sure to submit your recertification documents by October 1, 2013. If these documents are not received complete and your store is not recertified, your ToppsPro account will be automatically deactived on December 31, 2013.
Last week, Topps announced a planned renovation to our HTA Program to our Distributor Partners. Our new program will be effective in July 2013. A summary of the new program is outlined below and on the attached. We are contacting you to advise that our HTA Renovation may affect your direct buying account with Topps. Please read the following information carefully to determine in your account may be impacted by this renovation.
Summary Changes: HTA Renovation for Direct Customers
There are three primary components that may affect your direct buying account:
1. All Direct Customers must submit Recertification Forms. The necessary forms to complete recertification are attached. (See: Topps Direct Buying Account Recertification Form and Topps Direct Buying Account Trade Terms and Conditions). All stores must complete these forms and submit to Topps by October 1, 2013. If these documents are not received complete, your ToppsPro Account will be deactivated on December 31, 2013.
2. New Minimum Performance Requirements: Effective July 2013, Topps will be enforcing minimum performance requirements for Direct Customers. All current Direct Customers will have until December 31, 2013 to meet new performance requirements. If your store does meet new performance requirements, your direct buying account will remain active with Topps. If your store does not meet new performance requirements, your store will no longer be eligible to purchase direct from Topps, you will be referred to a distributor and your ToppsPro account will be deactivated by January 31, 2014. To remain a direct buying account, stores must meet BOTH of the following requirements by December 31, 2013:
a. Generate purchase volume from Topps within the top 250 direct buying customers.
b. NOTE: While annual performance requirements may vary to remain within the top 250 direct customers, for your reference, to remain a direct customer in 2012, stores would have needed to purchase a minimum of $30K from Topps in 2012.
c. Purchase from Topps a minimum of 10 different product releases per year
3. New MVP: As the performance requirements will be higher for Direct Customers than NonDirect customers, all current Tops Direct Customers will transition out of the HTA Program and into our NEW MVP Program in July 2013. This program is similar to HTA where stores receive promotional materials but MVP Stores will receive additional benefits as well. Attached, you will find a document outlining benefits for Topps MVP Customers including access to ALL Topps Hobby Channel promotion, automatic opt-in to receive promotional materials and support for in-store events/activities. The HTA Program will remain intact for NonDirect Stores that meet specific performance requirements.
There are three possible outcomes for all Direct Customers on December 31, 2013,
1. YES, my store DID meet performance requirements: Your store will continue on in the new MVP program in January 2014. Your store will have until December 31, 2014 to meet annual performance requirements again.
2. No, my store DID NOT meet performance requirements: You will receive a notification from Topps that your account did not meet minimum performance requirements by January 2014. You will have until January 31, 2014 to transition to an Authorized Topps Hobby Store Distributor (we will provide you a list). Your ToppsPro account will be deactivated on January 31, 2014 and you will no longer be able to purchase direct from Topps. A Distributor may contact you to set up a Topps Authorized NonDirect Hobby Account.
3. I did not submit my recertification forms by October 1[SUP]st[/SUP]: Your ToppsPro Account will be deactived on December 31, 2013 whether your store meets performance requirements or not.
In the event that your store must transition to a NonDirect Account, please be aware of the following changes to our NonDirect Program under the HTA Renovation
Summary Changes: HTA Renovation for NonDirect Customers
1. NonDirect Hobby Store Registration Form: All brick/mortar hobby stores with a valid Certificate of Resale must have this form completed to be added to the Topps NonDirect Hobby Store Database and to be acknowledged as an Authorized Topps NonDirect Hobby Store. This form must be signed by the Hobby Store Owner and the Distributor Owner. Only Authorized Topps Hobby Distributors may submit this form on behalf of Hobby Stores.
2. Distributor of Record: When registering as a NonDirect Hobby Store, all Hobby Stores will be required to choose a Distributor of Record. The Distributor of Record simply means that the distributor that registers your NonDirect store with Topps is authorized to communicate with Topps on your behalf. In certain instances, they may also collect promotional information and materials for you as well. You may only have one Distributor or Record. However, you may continue to purchase from which ever distributor(s) you prefer. The Distributor of Record will primarily serve to help facilitate communication between Topps and your store.
3. New HTA Requirements: Effective July 2013, only stores submitted by their Distributor or Record to receive promotional materials will be part of HTA and eligible to participate in future promotions. Promotional materials may be shipped directly to Distributors and they will be responsible for ensuring these materials are provided to HTA stores. Distributors may request promotional materials for up to 25 stores. However, the stores must meet BOTH the following requirements:
a. Minimum of twenty thousand ($20K) dollars in purchases from the Distributor of Record annually
b. Minimum of ten (10) different product releases purchased from Distributor of record annually
Stores that do not meet these performance requirements will not be considered HTA and may not receive promotional materials. However, if registered, stores will be acknowledged as an Authorized Topps NonDirect Hobby Store and may have the opportunity to move into HTA with a Topps Authorized Hobby Distributor in the future.
For now, you may only need to focus on recertification and meeting minimum performance requirements by December 31, 2013 in order to remain a direct customer. Topps will contact you later in the year or early January 2014 if your store will be required to transition to a distributor. Please be sure to submit your recertification documents by October 1, 2013. If these documents are not received complete and your store is not recertified, your ToppsPro account will be automatically deactived on December 31, 2013.
