# Authorized Sourcing Roadmap

## Rule

No trademarked product is listed, advertised or represented as available until The Bougie Redneck has written reseller authorization, online-channel permission, current wholesale or dropship terms and rights to the supplied images and product data.

No scraped product catalogs, marketplace counterfeits or unverified “dropship” feeds.

## Target Brand Intake

| Brand | Confirmed official path | Current store status |
|---|---|---|
| Rock Revival | [Official wholesale portal](https://wholesale.rockrevival.com/) | Application and terms review required |
| Affliction | [Official wholesale instructions](https://afflictionclothing.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360024597453-How-can-I-purchase-wholesale) | Contact `sales@afflictionclothing.com` |
| American Fighter | [Official customer contact](https://www.americanfighter.com/pages/faq) | Request wholesale routing through Affliction Holdings; do not assume shared approval |
| Ariat | [Official retail partner signup](https://www.ariat.com/retail-partner-signup) | Submit new dealer survey for boots/apparel |
| Baha Ranch Western Wear | [Wholesale + Shopify Collective page](https://baharanchwesternwear.com/pages/wholesale-information) | Faire wholesale and Shopify Collective dropship route available; apply as retailer |
| Western Express | Reseller/wholesale western accessories route | Validate direct wholesale account or Inventory Source-backed feed before surfacing products |
| Dan Post | [Official dealer portal](https://danpostboots.com/pages/dealer-portal) | Dealer account and feed access required |
| Durango | [Rocky Brands dealer packet](https://www.rockybrands.com/docs/marketing-resources/doing-business-with-rocky-brands/Business-Documents/rocky-brands-authorized-dealer-packet.pdf) | Written online-selling permission required |

## Application Package

Prepare one clean retailer packet before outreach:

1. Legal entity name, EIN and resale certificate.
2. Business and shipping addresses.
3. Private storefront preview and customer profile.
4. Planned categories, price bands and launch geography.
5. Sales-channel declaration covering web, mobile, AR and VR surfaces.
6. Fulfillment model: owned inventory, authorized drop-ship or approved distributor.
7. Requested product feed formats, stock cadence, media rights and 3D-asset availability.
8. MAP, promotion, marketplace, returns and warranty acknowledgment.
9. Opening order budget and reorder process.

## Recommended Opening Mix

The mix is a planning target, not inventory:

- Denim: bootcut anchor, straight and athletic secondary fits
- Tops: washed graphics, layered thermals, western overshirts and light outerwear
- Boots: comfort-first everyday western, work boots, square-toe statement boots and night-out boot rotation
- Leather: belts, wallets, card cases and compact bags
- Accessories: buckles, hats, wallets, belts and restrained jewelry after the core fit is proven

## Dropship Connection Strategy

Use existing `@fanz/supplier-pool` before building any new catalog engine. Current usable paths are:

1. **Direct dealer/wholesale first for hero brands** — Ariat, Rock Revival, Affliction/American Fighter, Dan Post and Durango need direct written reseller approval, image rights, MAP terms and online-channel permission. These become premium anchor suppliers.
2. **Dropship-capable western boutiques second** — vendors such as Baha Ranch that explicitly publish Shopify Collective or Faire routes can seed accessories and western apparel while hero-brand dealer approvals are pending.
3. **Inventory Source long-tail only after feed verification** — the pool already supports Inventory Source-backed suppliers; western/outdoor feeds such as Western Power Sports or Western Express-style accessory feeds must be verified for apparel/boot relevance, shipping SLA, image rights and consumer-shop authorization before enabling for this shop.
4. **BrandsGateway remains fallback luxury menswear only** — it is not the core country-boy assortment. Use only for size-free accessories or designer accent pieces after gender-filter verification.

## Supplier-Pool Contract

Every supplier record entering `@fanz/supplier-pool` should carry:

- `supplier_id` and legal supplier name
- `authorization_status` and verification date
- approved countries and channels
- SKU, UPC, title, description and category
- cost, MSRP, MAP and promotion restrictions
- stock quantity or honest availability state
- fulfillment SLA and return routing
- image license and source URLs
- model measurements and garment size chart
- GLB/USDZ availability and real-world scale
- last synchronization time and source checksum

The storefront must display zero or “unavailable” when live data is absent. It must never invent stock, popularity, reviews or sales velocity.

## Launch Gate

- Written authorization archived
- Product feed mapped and validated
- Sample order and return completed
- Image and trademark usage approved
- Size charts normalized
- Inventory and price synchronization tested
- Checkout and tax path approved
- Customer policies published
- Support routing uses `support@fanzunlimited.com`
- AR and AI claims match the capability available for each SKU

## Verified discovery notes

- Buckle positions men's Western as rugged premium western wear and names Ariat, Hooey, Pendleton and Kimes Ranch as top western brands.
- Ariat's official partner page routes prospective retailers to `ariatnewdealersurvey.com`.
- Affliction's help center routes wholesale requests to `sales@afflictionclothing.com` and expects up to one week for response.
- Baha Ranch states wholesale is available through Faire and that it is on Shopify Collective as a vendor for drop shipping.
- Rock Revival maintains an official wholesale site; access/terms still require review before product use.