There’s been some controversy between Canon and JB-Hi-fi over grey imported camera products on its website.

Canon has mentioned that selling grey products may put tensions on their supplier/retailer relationships.

Canon was disappointed that JB Hi-Fi resorted to importing grey products and participating in parallel direct importing. For those who don’t know, grey imports are when retailers buy from a 3rd party supplier without permission from the manufacturer to sell those products.

Customer support could be affected by JB Hifi actions.

Canon selling its own products direct to consumers creates more competition for retailers who sell Canon products.

Suppliers and retailers have always had decent relationships however, it’s up to the retailer if they want to deal directly with the manufacturer. They may find cheaper offshore products that breed more competition.