Big brand retailers who have supported the Blaupunkt brand in Australia are now finding themselves having to compete with bottom end websites who are discounting the company’s TVss out in an effort to get a sale for the made-in-China TVs.
Some of these retailers are not happy.
At Officeworks, a Blaupunkt 55” 4K TV is retailing for $648 while the same TV is being sold on the Cheap as Chips web site for $549, almost $100 cheaper.
Earlier in the day Catch was ranging the same TV for over $600. This was later slashed to $564 forcing retailers to compete with the Nick Aboud-run South Australian business Cheap As Chips, which is currently up for sale. 
Bing Lee, who have been a major supporter of the Blaupunkt brand – one observer said “This brand is being prostituted to anyone who will sell it” – is now showing the Blaupunkt 55” TV as being discontinued.
Instead they are ranging a similar 55” 4K TV from Chinese brand ChiQ for $595.
Blaupunkt is distributed in Australia by Ayonz.
Earlier in the year we reported the owners of the Blaupunkt brand in Europe were talking to other distributors in an effort to get more of their products sold in Australia.
JB Hi-Fi has been selling Blaupunkt 65” TVs but currently has none ranged.
ChannelNews understands Officeworks was not told that Cheap As Chips would be selling the same Blaupunkt 55” TV when they placed orders for the product.
Ayonz has not commented for this story.
One major supplier to mass retailers said, “Big brand retailers don’t buy a product expecting it to then be sold on a bottom end discount website. This is not good for the retailer or the brand”.
