Autoglym under fire for direct sales move

Autoglym has come under fire from retailers after launching a new web shop to sell direct to consumers.

It will sell the entire Autoglym range of car, motorcycle and gift pack products.

The supplier said the move is a reaction to rogue internet sellers who are undermining the brand by under-pricing and misusing the logo.

In a letter to retailers, MD Paul Caller stressed that the retail network remains Autoglym’s preferred route to market.

“Face-to-face advice and retailer recommendation has been one of the foundations of the Autoglym retail success,” he said.

He added that all products on the new site would be sold at full RRP and that postage and packaging would be charged for.

However, one Autoglym seller told CAT: “They should only have supplied genuine car accessory shops in the first place and woken up earlier to the fact that the internet was not going to go away.”

Retailer representative CAAR said it would continue to monitor the site closely to make sure Autoglym keeps its pricing promise.