Adidas under fire from All Blacks fans
Adidas is facing a New Zealand-wide boycott of its new All Blacks jersey as Kiwi fans, rugby greats, the prime minister and even retailers baulk at the "rip-off" price set by the sportswear giant.
Punters have been outraged by the $NZ220 ($A178) price tag for the latest replica All Blacks top in New Zealand stores, significantly higher than the $NZ93 ($A75) price asked by United States online stores.
Major New Zealander retailer Rebel Sports has joined the condemnation, saying it was "furious" about the high cost price set by adidas, considerably more than the cost set for sellers overseas.
Rugby legend Colin Mead has also weighed in, labelling it a money-making trick, while the opposition leader Phil Goff said it was "outrageous" that adidas was making New Zealanders pay twice the price of online overseas shoppers.
Prime Minister John Key questioned whether Kiwis were getting a fair deal and said it was up to the company to "sort their own issues out".
But adidas has not won any fans with its dealings over the issue.
Enquiries with major US online retailer worldrugbyshop.com have revealed the German clothing and shoe manufacturer had forced the site to stop shipping to New Zealand.
It has also refused to meet retailers' demands and reduce its cost price, instead issuing a media release on Monday suggesting that the price reflected adidas' investment in the game.
New Zealanders "know they are supporting New Zealand rugby when they buy a replica All Blacks jersey", said country manager David Huggett.
"We invest millions of dollars in Kiwi rugby from grassroots through to the All Blacks, including a major investment in the state-of-the-art All Black jersey."
Its critics remain unconvinced, however, with the comments labelled "ridiculous" by one leading PR company.
Rebel Sports announced on Tuesday that it would cut its sale price to $NZ170 ($A138), trimming its profit margin significantly, even though adidas would not agree to a price drop.
"We cannot have the situation where New Zealanders are paying more for an All Blacks jersey than almost any other country in the world," the company's general manager Rod Duke said.
"Quite frankly, this is an intolerable circumstance and we will not accept it."
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