According to Denkers, competition director at ACM, this affects all types of products, from prams and car seats to pacifiers and toys. The complaints are always that suppliers influence the price at which stores sell those products.
‘Stores need to be able to set their own prices independently. That’s why we’ve spoken to those suppliers about whom complaints have been received.’
Denkers points out that this practice is not allowed. ‘Stores need to be able to set their own prices independently. That’s why we turned to those suppliers about whom complaints were received.’
The flu comes in a variety of ways, according to the competition director. ‘Sometimes resellers get a phone call or email asking if they’d like to adjust the price of a product to the suggested retail price. Or they receive a screenshot showing a discount, which according to the supplier has not been agreed upon.’
In some cases, according to Denkers, it also takes more extreme forms, and the supplier threatens to suspend deliveries if prices are not adjusted.
Less critical when it comes to the price of children’s things
The complaints that ACM receives do not exclusively concern, but very often, products for babies and children. Denkers: ‘We don’t know exactly what caused this. But parents usually want the best for their child. As a result, they may be less critical when it comes to pricing and suppliers think they can get away with it.’
Suppliers who have received a strike from ACM can expect an investigation and possibly a serious fine if they are caught again.