International Shipping

Letter of Credit

For Purchase Orders placed via Letter of Credit, Specialty Retailers, Inc. will supply all shipping and paperwork requirements in the Letter of Credit. You must follow the Purchase Order, Invoice, Ticketing, Packaging, Labeling, and Packing Slip instructions provided in this Logistics Guide. Failure to provide all required documents to the Freight Forwarder listed may result in delay in receiving your Forwarders Cargo Receipt required for payment.

Direct Buy / Open Terms / FOB Shipping Port

Specialty Retailers, Inc utilizes Expeditors Intl as our Freight Forwarder and U S Customs Broker. Shippers may go the Expeditors Website at www.Expeditors.com. Follow the link for Office Locator to find contact names and phone number to each Expeditors office/port. Expeditors offices at each port are supplied with a PO listing for that port and will perform PO verification when the shipment is booked. Shipments MUST be booked in advance to allow shipping within the Ship/Cancel date provided on the Purchase Order.

All Shippers MUST provide Expeditors International with the Original Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Bill of Lading, Certificate of Origin and/or any other documents and forms required by U S Customs. In order to begin the payment process one set of all Original documents including Invoice, Packing List, BOL, Forwarders Cargo, Certificate of Origin, and/or any other documents and forms required by U S Customs MUST be mailed to:

Specialty Retailers, Inc.
10201 S Main St
Houston, TX 77025
ATTN: Dung Nguyen / Finance Dept.

1. Shoes - IFI Form - detailed description of shoes used to determine the correct Harmonized Tariff code
2. Shoes - IFI Form - detailed description of shoes used to determine the correct Harmonized Tariff code
3. Items containing Wood Products or Vines - Fumigation Certificate
4. Items containing Feathers - Veterinarian Certificate declaring no Blood, skin etc. and proof feathers were cleaned
5. Items containing shells - Requires Scientific name as well as common name. If endangered species there must be a Cities/Fisheries Certificate
6. Candles - Must Provide Certificate verifying candles do NOT contain Petroleum Products and provide a percentage breakdown of products used. NOTE: Customs may request that a U S Lab test the candles for constituent breakdown to determine if petroleum is in the candle. (Invalid information provided by the shipper causing higher duty charges will be charged back to the shipper via a chargeback deduction.)
7. Ceramic ware: Vendor must state Ceramic or Porcelain and note if items are glazed. If the items are glazed then a Chinese Ceramic Factory Code is required if they are a member. If glazed, you must provide the percentages of glazing components by a Lab Analysis.

***Failure to provide required forms causing delay in customs release or extra freight cost will be charged back to the vendor.

Invoices

All invoices must include the following information:

1. Consignee Name - Consigned to Specialty Retailers, Inc.
2. Terms of Sale
3. Currency
4. Cost of packing
5. Ship to Location - Ship to distribution center listed on the purchase order
6. Ship to Port
7. Purchase Order number - Each Purchase order must be listed separately on the invoice noting the carton count per PO.
8. Item # - Each item must be listed separately on the invoice providing the cost per item and a very detailed description in order for customs to determine the Tariff is correct. Example: You cannot state Wooden decorative items - you must give a detail description of the item. For certain items such as clocks you must provide the individual cost of the case and the movements including the size of movements. A detailed description of the case and the movements must be provided.
9. Harmonized Tariff code - HTS code must be listed on the invoice for each item shipped. Certain items like clocks must list the HTS code for the case and for the movements.
10. Country of Origin
11. Actual Manufacturer name and address

***Failure to provide required information on the invoice causing a delay in customs release or extra freight charges will be charged back to the vendor.

Container Shipments Purchased FOB Port of entry USA.

Follow all Purchase Order, Invoicing, Bill of Lading, Packaging, Labeling, and Packing List instructions listed in this Logistics Guide

All containers MUST deliver to the port closest to the ship to Distribution Center. Once the container arrives at port, you must notify the Traffic Dept. at appointment@stagestores.com and provide the container number, purchase order number(s) and carton count for each PO in the container. The Traffic Dept. will then give you the name and phone number of the delivering carrier in order to release the container.

Container Shipments Purchased FOB Destination Warehouse

Follow all Purchase Order, Invoicing, Bill of Lading, Packaging, Labeling, and Packing List instructions listed in this Logistics Guide.

Once the container is ready to deliver you must send an email to appointment@stagestores.com providing the Container #, delivering carrier name, Purchase Order (s) and carton count for each purchase order in the container. You will then be given a delivery date and time.

*** Failure to provide accurate information or delivery of a container without prior notice will result in a noncompliance charge to your company.

*** Failure to follow these instructions may result in a non-compliance charge to your company.

As a vendor partner, you undoubtedly are aware that the United States Congress recently enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) which affects all consumer products and includes many new obligations. To sell to Stage Stores, we require that you comply with all legal requirements, including compliance with this new law, and existing product safety laws and regulations. Failure to do so will result in the rejection of your shipments. In particular, the CPSIA requires certifications and limits the use of lead and phthalates in a variety of consumer products and childrens products. There are important preexisting requirements on garment flammability and small parts, for example.

For all products manufactured on or after November 12, 2008, Section 14(a)(1) of the Consumer Product Safety Act, as amended by the CPSIA, essentially requires a GCC to be issued with respect to every product that is subject to any consumer product safety rule, ban, standard or regulation enforced by the CPSC. This includes all childrens products but is not limited to those products. The GCC is required for all products subject to applicable rules, bans, standards and regulations. Products without the required certificate, which must accompany the product and be furnished to the retailer, cannot be imported or distributed in the United States. For Stage Stores, these requirements must be satisfied through the submission of a GCC form.

Stage Stores requires imported vendors to meet the GCC requirement. Certifications must include mandatory information required by law. Stage requires you to prepare and furnish these certifications to the Freight Forwarder with each shipment. Freight will not be shipped or accepted without the GCC form. On page 50 is a sample of the GCC certificate that must be used.

Required by Specialty Retailers, Inc. for all Shipments/Purchase Orders prior to booking with the Freight Forwarder or Ocean Carrier

Specialty Retailers, Inc. requires all shippers to complete the information below and provide this form to the Freight Forwarder or Ocean Carrier when the shipment/ Purchase Order is booked prior to shipping. Failure to provide all the information required in the form will cause your booking to be rejected until the fully completed Form is provided. Incorrect information provided in this form which causing delay in clearance with U S Customs or charges accessed will be paid by the shipper.

Specialty Retailers, Inc. requires all shippers to complete the Plant and Plant Product Declaration Form if shipment contains the following: any wild member of the plant kingdom, including roots, seeds, parts, or products thereof, and including trees from either natural or planted forest stands. Any product that is classified in the following HTS chapters, must submit the form:

Ch. 44 Heading (wood & articles of wood)