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Coordinating Traditional and Internet Sales

By Jonathan Bick
June 26, 2007
Manufacturers and distributors use traditional stores and Internet sites to sell goods and services. But too often, when identical items are offered simultaneously through these channels, Internet price advertisements divert so much business from the traditional stores that those traditional outlets stop offering the items.

MAP ('minimum advertised price') agreements, which prevent items from being advertised below some specified amount (the minimum advertised price), are often employed to maintain access to traditional and Internet sales channels.

Typically, lower operating costs allow Internet sites to consistently offer lower prices than traditional stores can offer. In addition, Internet businesses frequently profit from shipping and handling charges. Thus, Internet sites habitually earn a higher profit than a traditional store selling identical items at the same price.

The successful implementation of a MAP agreement among merchants selling a particular item will result in all channels advertising the same item at identical prices. Consumer acquisition preferences vary. When the price is equal, some consumers value the convenience of Internet shopping over the reliability and personal service of traditional stores; others hold a contrary view.

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