← Seller & Distribution Control
Authorized Sellers & Distribution Models
Authorized sellers are retailers, distributors, or resellers who operate under a formal agreement with a brand that defines pricing, territory, channel restrictions, and service obligations. The structure of a brand's authorized distribution model is the primary determinant of how much pricing and marketplace control it retains.
Brands that distribute through open wholesale networks with no channel restrictions consistently experience more unauthorized selling, more MAP violations, and greater grey market activity than brands with selective or exclusive distribution structures. Distribution model design is a brand protection decision as much as a commercial one.
Articles & Resources
What Are Authorized Sellers?
Defines authorized sellers — the agreements that govern them and the brand protection role they play.
What Is a Controlled Distribution Model?
Defines controlled distribution and explains how brands use it to limit unauthorized selling and maintain pricing consistency.
What Is Selective Distribution?
Defines selective distribution — where brands approve specific retailers based on criteria — and its brand protection advantages.
Selective Distribution: Pros and Cons
A balanced assessment of selective distribution — pricing control benefits and the commercial trade-offs.
How Does Selective Distribution Work on Amazon
Applies selective distribution principles to Amazon's marketplace — how brands structure approved seller programs.
Exclusive Distributors: Pros and Cons
The trade-offs of exclusive distribution agreements — maximum channel control vs. limited market reach.
Reseller vs. Distributor: What's the Difference
Clarifies the roles of resellers and distributors in a brand's supply chain and how the distinction affects enforcement.
Distributor vs. Wholesaler vs. Retailer: Understanding the Supply Chain Layers
Maps the full supply chain hierarchy and explains how each layer creates authorized and unauthorized selling risk.
Using Distributors: Pros and Cons
The strategic trade-offs of distributor-based selling — reach and efficiency vs. pricing control and visibility.
Wholesale vs Direct-to-Consumer: Pros and Cons
Compares wholesale and DTC distribution models and their implications for brand control and pricing integrity.
Can a Distributor Legally Sell on Amazon?
The legal and contractual framework governing distributor behavior on Amazon — what distributors can do and how brands restrict it.
Can Wholesalers Sell on Amazon?
How wholesale accounts access Amazon and what agreements brands use to prevent unauthorized wholesale resale.
Allowing Authorized Resellers on Amazon: Pros and Cons
The strategic decision of whether to permit authorized resellers on Amazon — and how to structure reseller programs.
Private Label vs. Brand Owner: What's the Difference
Distinguishes private label sellers from brand owners — and the different marketplace control options available to each.
Master Your Amazon Seller Strategy: Choose Value-Driven Partners
How brands select and manage authorized Amazon selling partners to maintain pricing and service standards.
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