Asics, the Japanese footwear manufacturer, is rumoured to be ending its wholesale agreements with independent UK retailers in order to concentrate on big chains and direct internet sales.
A number of sources claim that Asics sent out a notification to concerned parties informing them that it would no longer be supplying them with products, which led to widespread discontent.
According to a letter from Asics obtained by the Guardian, the company will stop providing goods to these outlets starting in 2019 after “reassessing the relationship with many of our customers.”
It should be noted that Asics reportedly shut off some of the larger independent stores last month while leaving the smaller ones in operation. The choice is in line with the tactics used by Asics’ rivals Nike and Adidas, who reportedly started abandoning smaller stores in 2019 in order to leverage their market power.
