23 April 2010
Grey importers have been taking advantage of our sport for many years now, and when I say advantage, I mean that they are here for one reason and one reason alone – to profit from our sport. The majority give nothing back to local bodybuilding, as they don't sponsor events or athletes. More often than not they are the ones who create political negativity and spread propaganda to aid their sales.

For those who don't know what a grey importer is – they are individuals or even companies that buy large quantities of top selling international brand name supplements from buy-in-bulk online websites and then proceed to undercut the official, or registered agents of these brands here in South Africa by offering the same products at a cheaper rate.

As customers who buy supplements on a regular basis we regularly walk into our local store, buy the brands we believe to be the best, pay our money and walk out. Sure, we might be getting our brands at great rates, but sometimes the only beneficiary of our purchase are these grey importers.

Grey importers are not only bad for our industry in that they give nothing back, but they ride off the valuable and expensive advertising campaigns that registered and legitimate local companies and registered providers spend to promote their brands. If we are to grow as an industry then consumers must wake up and become more aware of where their supplements are coming from. Always be vigilant when it comes to purchasing your favourite brand and only buy from stores that deal with the registered and official companies that own the local rights to sell international brands here in South Africa.

Walking into a store and asking the guy behind the counter where he buys his supplements from will not always get you an honest answer. Take the time to call your favourite supplement company or brand's local offices and confirm with them that the store you are purchasing from buys exclusively from the right people! It is only right to support the guys in our industry who are conducting legitimate business and giving back to the sport.

For contact numbers check out our client list here on www.muscleevolution.co.za. Take the time to find out, because I can promise you that our sport will benefit in the long run, both financially and ethically. Make the right choice, for the future of the sport.