Sorzal Case Analysis
Sorzal Distributors is a national importer and distributor of a wide variety of South American and African artifacts. It is also a major supplier of Southwestern Indian (specifically Hopi and Navajo) authentic pottery and jewelry. The firm’s headquarters is located in Phoenix, Arizona; however, you can go to other Sorzal Distributors branches that are located in Los Angeles, Boston and Miami. Below is the SWOT analysis for the Sorzal Distributors case.
S – Strengths One huge strength of Sorzal Distributors is that it sells legitimate artifacts that are not counterfeit. This is sometimes hard to come by when you are trying to deal with rare foreign artifacts that are from places such as Africa, South America and Southwestern India. Since these artifacts are rare, it is hard for competitors to imitate or produce counterfeit artifacts that would be up to par. Sorzal has expanded their product line to include replicas of authentic artifacts that would be hard to come by. These products are produced by native people or qualified craftspeople who are well trained. This ensures that the artifacts are not going to be fake or just versions that are not substantial in quality. Doing this ensures that the customers get a high quality product.
W – Weaknesses One very serious weakness that Sorzal Distributors is facing, is that the authentic artifact supply is at an all-time low. It is so much harder for people to find new artifacts that they can prove are not counterfeit. This is a very serious problem, because even though there are not many new artifacts, there are a lot more competitors in the market than there have been previously. Sorzal must also compete with the government, they will not allow the exportation of certain artifacts because of their “national significance”.
O – Opportunities One big opportunity is that Sorzal is able to sell authentically made replicas of authentic rare jewelry and other merchandise. People are able to purchase this for designing. This helps prevent the problem of low supply in these artifacts. Having these replicas gives a small boost to Sorzal’s total sales. Another great opportunity is the media. There was a Time Magazine article that stated “it’s best to buy from a dealer that you can trust since a growing number of fakes are turning up in the market”. Sorzal could potentially capitalize on this form of marketing.
T – Threats