Nokaut.pl unveils unfair business practices in online retail

2010-07-28

According to a survey by Nokaut.pl, 60% of online retailers claim that the producers determine the retail prices in order to prevent e-stores from cutting them too excessively. In addition, around 50% of the e-retailers declare that if the producers did not set the prices, the products offered online could be 5-15% cheaper. Three percent of online retailers claim that they could cut prices by as much as 25%.
The most common segments in which the producers fix the prices are household and garden accessories, sports and hobby equipment, electronic devices and products for children.
Moreover, 60% of e-retailers admit that the manufacturers threaten to block the supplies if a store does not comply with their pricing policies.
Among other problems pointed out by the e-retailers when selling goods for a price lower than requested by the producers are difficulties in supply (36%), warnings from the producers (13%), worse conditions of supply (13%) as well as bans on using photos of the product (5%).
Nokaut.pl cooperates with 3,200 stores and the sales revenues generated by the stores via the service totalled to PLN 810m (€199.5m) in 2009.