Under attack
29.06.2012 5101

Under attack

Sneakers came under antitrust strike

German supervisor to check why Nike, Adidas and Asics shy away from online stores

The German competition authority has launched an investigation into the largest manufacturers of sportswear and shoes Nike, Adidas and Asics, who refuse to sell their products in online stores such as Amazon.com and eBay.

Manufacturers themselves do not hide this, arguing that buyers should be served in stores by special consultants. “We want to make sure that our products are sold only by specialized retailers with the necessary education and knowledge,” explains Adidas CEO Herbert Heiner. “Lately we've been getting a lot of complaints like“ your sneakers didn't make us faster ”.

With Nike, the situation is similar: in Europe, the company’s products are allowed to be sold only to authorized sellers, which do not include Amazon.com and eBay.

Customer dissatisfaction with the policies pursued by sports brands does not boil down to their retail business alone. Last year, a scandal erupted over advertising Reebook EasyTone sneakers (brand owned by Adidas). It was reported that when wearing tonic sneakers, the muscles of the buttocks and legs are strengthened (28% is better compared to ordinary shoes). However, in practice, it turned out that the numbers voiced in the advertisement during the Reebok check could not be documented. Moreover, on some people, shoes had a harmful effect. According to the results of the proceedings, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Reebok is ready to pay $ 25 million in the settlement of claims for unfair advertising of sports tonic shoes, writes sostav.ru.

In 2011, Adidas profit increased by 18% to 671 million euros and was the highest ever in the company's history. Nike recorded profit growth at 12% to $ 2,13 billion.

Sneakers hit an antitrust strike. German supervisor will check why Nike, Adidas and Asics are shunning online stores. The German antitrust authority has launched an investigation into ...
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