G Shift - Newsletter #2 2025
Greetings,
Fellow Petrolheads...
Rain, rain and more rain. I'm sure we are all grateful for the water, but we sure have had a tremendous amount of it over the past few months. With the excessive water, comes excessive hazards in the form of incompetent drivers, pot holes and other issues from flooding. Please be safe on the roads, and ensure your vehicles are maintained and equipped for dealing with the elements.
As the saying goes: "When it rains, it pours". Over and above the weather, storms are also brewing across the world due to war, conflict and economic turmoil. Political leaders are also having a right fun time changing economic policy and trade agreements, with apparently little foresight into how this affects things on a larger scale.
That being said, there are some positive aspects to take note of. Some new products are now available on a Pre-Order basis, and there are also new products launching in the coming months. Each of these aspects will be unpacked in more detail below.
Tariff Effects on Products and Pricing:
As you may well know, many of the products available through G Shift come from overseas partners, specifically the USA. Recent updates to US Tariff structures have had a significant effect on supply chains and costing structures. This is further compounded where some products are manufactured in Asia, or have components or ingredients which are sourced from outside the USA.
What does this mean? Well in simple terms, products are going to get very expensive very quickly. Suppliers are scrambling to mitigate these increases as much as possible, through negotiating with their vendors, through to reviewing operational processes and planning for the future. That being said, the following will take place:
- Select product prices will increase based on tariff-related cost changes;
- Prices may fluctuate as new information is obtained;
- Some items may be out of stock temporarily as Suppliers work to avoid high tariffs;
This is a time of uncertainty, however G Shift is committed to navigating this period with as little disruption to you (the end customer) as possible. Please note the following:
- All In-Stock Products will remain at their Advertised Prices, until sold out. This means that products purchased now will most likely be significantly cheaper than in a few months time when the impact of these Tariffs comes into effect on future imports.
- Pricing will be reviewed frequently for out of stock / pre-order products, to provide the best possible indication of what they would cost. Should any discrepancies be identified, these will be communicated with the customer prior to ordering the products.
- The reality is that things are not going to improve significantly, but they will almost certainly deteriorate significantly in the short to medium term. Even without the new tariffs, economic uncertainty always hurts the Rand against foreign currencies.
- Speaking from a business perspective, these developments also mean that future orders to keep stock of products will be scrutinised to 1) minimise stock kept locally, and 2) evaluate the viability of actually bringing in certain products into the future.
- NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY! If there is something you've wanted to get for a while, make it happen. Once it's gone, there is no guarantee that it will be available again at all, or at the current pricing. Pricing is currently at pre-Tariff levels, as well as taking advantage of prior periods where the exchange rate was 15-20% better than it is at the moment.
Phew, this has been a heavy topic. Let's move onto some more positive news...
Garage Cabinets, Racking and Shelving and Slatwall:
In case you missed it, G Shift is now an Official Trade Partner for NewAge Products Inc. in South Africa!
We have had a lot of interest in Garage Cabinets and storage solutions, and plans are in place to secure an order products in the coming months (subject to all this nonsense mentioned above settling down).
To view more detailed information on the relevant products, please follow the links below:
Contact Us to discuss your specific requirements around Garage Storage Solutions.
New Products in the G Shift Online Store:
We have added a number of new products to the store (most of which are on a Pre-Order basis). From P&S Detail Products, we have 2 new Essence Fragrances available. Detail Factory have also expanded their product lines with new brushes, new colours and new accessories.
More products will be released in the coming months (including some new Microfiber from The Rag Company), so stay tuned for future updates on these. Click the link below to view all the New Products.
Increased Social Media Presence / Content:
We are brainstorming ideas to get more content published, which may be of interest to Enthusiasts, from Detailing and Auto Care, through to other things such as maintenance, product reviews, interesting topics etc. What would you like to see more of? Let us know...
To end off, as always, Thank You for your Support!
Let the Journey Continue...