In reaction to reported criticism from the German Federal Cartel Office, ASICS is now revising its entire system of selective distribution for the European Economic Zone and Switzerland, which has been in place since 2011.
In a report by major sporting expo group ISPO, it is understood that the German Cartel Office held a critical view of the way ASICS selected its retailers and the fact that it prohibits (i) the use of online marketplaces such as eBay and (ii) the support of price search engines.
The Japanese sporting goods company has now announced that it will change the system starting from 1 January, and this process is expected to be finished by 1 December 2015.
The changes comprise two main areas:
- The qualification process for authorized retailers will be simplified to two distribution channels, online and offline. ASICS has therefore developed a new catalog of criteria that is set to define which merchandise a retailer is allowed to sell either online or offline. It will also stipulate which bricks-and-mortar or online shops will be allowed to sell which products, in line with the retailer’s level of qualification.
- Online retailers that seek to support price search engines will be free to do so. In addition, ASICS will provide expanded options and directives on the use of online marketplaces and how the ASICS logo can be implemented.
The company reportedly states that the changes are in line with the guidelines of the Federal Cartel Office and that it has been in intense negotiations with the regulators to put in place a distribution policy that meets the demands of all authorities.
