Last week, German sporting goods manufacturer Adidas, publicly announced that they would be lifting its sales restrictions on the use of eBay and other third-party marketplaces by authorized sellers.  As a result, consumers will again be able to  purchase Adidas goods from authorized German sellers on eBay and other online platforms. 

In their public statement, Adidas said that in the past two years, they have carefully monitored the heavily growing e-commerce market in the sporting goods sector and its evolution. They noticed that the online activities of their merchants have developed further: on the one hand, due to technical innovations and on the other, thanks to the specialized merchant-oriented e-commerce terms that have been defined by the adidas group and other companies.  Adidas said that as a result of these developments and as part of their new strategy, they have decided that, starting immediately, the distribution of their products via open marketplaces will be permitted.

eBay Inc. believes that the Internet has proven to be an economic driver for many small businesses all across Europe, providing new and exciting opportunities to reach consumers all around the world.  Internet-enabled commerce has also provided consumers with unparalleled choice and access to goods and services at affordable prices.  eBay Inc. opposes any attempts for e-commerce only to be allowed on specific online-shops and not on open marketplaces. Such restrictions act as a barrier to consumer-orientated, online- and mobile-focused businesses in Europe.

Earlier this year, thousands of European small businesses signed a petition launched by Choice in eCommerce that calls on National and European policy-makers and public authorities to address the restrictions placed on eCommerce, such as sales bans on online marketplaces.  To learn more about Choice in eCommerce and their initiatives, please visit their website.

Learn more about eBay Inc.’s position on Consumer Choice.