Birkenstock USA CEO Tells Shop Owners Not To Sell Its Products On Amazon

Birkenstock USA Chief Executive Officer David Kahan has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to having his company’s products sold on Amazon.com, telling shop owners not to sell the German-made offerings through Amazon’s marketplace.

According to a news report in The Washington Post, citing a five-page email sent by Kahan to Birkenstock retailers, the CEO railed against the eCommerce giant and offered to buy products from shop owners at full price. Birkenstock stopped selling its products on Amazon earlier in 2017, saying there had been a rise in unauthorized sellers and fake products, the report noted.

In recent weeks, Amazon has reached out to tens of thousands of retailers in the U.S. to get them to sell products via its platform, according to the Post. Some of the stores Amazon contacted sell only Birkenstocks, raising the ire of Kahan. The CEO emphasized the fact that the German-based shoemaker does not permit shop owners to sell, distribute or ship products to resellers.

“I will state clearly, any authorized retailer who may do this for even a single pair will be closed FOREVER. I repeat, FOREVER.” Kahan argues that letting unauthorized retailers such as Amazon sell the company’s sandals could hurt the Birkenstock brand and reputation. It also lowers the ability for his company to control how its products are sold.

An Amazon spokeswoman said the eCommerce giant buys products from third parties but declined to comment on Kahan’s complaint.

“In our mission to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, Amazon strives to provide our customers with the largest selection, at the lowest price and with the fastest delivery,” she noted in an email to the Post.