Mahway, N.J.
– D&M Holdings has launched a reseller authorization online portal which,
in part, prohibits third-party sales and transhipping, as well as acknowledging
a new unilateral advertised pricing policy for its brands.
D&M, which markets the Denon Electronics, Marantz
America and Boston Acoustics, said multi-tiered channel management plans comes
after a year of preparation, the company said.
Key to the plan is a new reseller authorization online
portal that provides all Denon, Marantz and Boston Acoustics resellers, as well
as professional integrators, “with an opportunity to partner more closely with
all three brands to help maintain sustainable profit margins and grow their
businesses,” D&M said.
The portal is available for all dealers who purchase
directly from the three brands, as well as those who purchase through third
party distributors and provides the companies with visibility to everyone
representing their brands in the marketplace.
The new web portal requires all dealers and distributors of
Denon, Marantz and Boston Acoustics products to register and agree to specific
guidelines, including the prohibition on third-party sales and transhipping, as
well as acknowledging a new unilateral advertised pricing policy for these
brands.
In addition, it clearly outlines the prohibition of internet
sales unless authorized to do so through a much more rigorous screening process,
D&M said.
The web portal is the cornerstone of a multi-tiered strategy
to effectively manage channel sales for all three brands, increase transparency,
and partner more closely with all authorized resellers. As part of the ongoing
effort to ensure that end users purchase only from authorized resellers capable
of communicating the Denon, Marantz and Boston Acoustics technology,
innovation, performance and brand benefit messages, all current resellers and
all future prospects are required to visit the web portal and electronically
sign revised reseller agreements.
D&M also reported that almost 99 percent of its
resellers have signed their revised and fully confidential agreements via the
online portal and aknowledged the new unilateral advertised pricing policy.
Those who have not completed the process are unable to place orders or
represent the brands until they do so and are approved, the company said.
In a prepared statement D&M Holdings’ North American president
Bob Weissburg said the authorization program “will allow us to be more
strategic and focused in all channels, guard and protect our brand integrity,
forge stronger relationships with our dealers, and also proactively monitor and
take swift action to halt practices such as illegal transhipping and misuse of
our intellectual property.”
He added, “We take our brand and market position very
seriously, and this channel management initiative is an important step forward
in helping us protect and reward our valued and indispensible authorized
reseller network for all three D&M brands.”
Phil Cohn, senior VP of sales for D&M Holdings North
America, said in a statement, “We recognize that for our authorized resellers
and integrators to invest in “telling our story” they must be able to expect a
certain level of profit from our brands. With this initiative, they will
have yet another important tool to help grow their businesses.”
The announcement comes on the eve of a press event for the
Denon and Boston Acoustics brands to outline their 2011/12 lines.
