Grey Marketing

[flano]

Does anyone know what this is?

[Bangkok]

A grey market is the selling of a legitimate item (i.e. not counterfeit) through a distribution channel other than the brand owners choice.  For example, you can buy a Mercedes from a Mercedes accredited dealership, or you can go to a car supermarket.  The car supermarket will probably have bought it abroad where the prices are cheaper and importer into the UK.  The would be a grey market sale - nothing illegal, but not what the brand owner wants. 

Depending on the type of product, the representative of the brand owner may be not able or otherwise unwilling to support the maintenance or repair.  This can happen if the specific model is not sold in country, and therefore the parts are not available.  However, brand owners usually (and reluctantly) support grey market goods because of the potential negative publicity if they don't.

 

For a grey market to legitimately exist, no laws should be broken (eg no counterfeit, no smuggling etc).  If laws are broken, such as smuggling beer from France, it would be classified as black market.

[Clanad]

Another important aspect of "grey market" automobiles is that they may not meet the safety, emissions or other requirements of the importing country.  Sometimes cars manufactured for marketing in a specific country are less expensive because they meet only that countries requirements.  I've had friends that have purchased cars overseas that required additional alterations or after market "add-ons" before being acceptable in the US.  They weren't unsafe nor were they illegal as purchased in the country of origin.  Caveat emptor!

[camille79]

Can sometimes also refer to the new category that has opened up of people around the age of retirement who have a good disposable income (ie.  kids now supporting themselves, mortgage paid off) who are being increasingly targeted as a lucrative market.