gray market
Legal but unauthorized
A gray market is a trade channel for goods that are sold legally but outside the manufacturer's authorized distribution system.
This often involves products imported from countries where they're sold more cheaply, then resold elsewhere without the brand owner's permission.
Unlike black markets, which deal in illegal goods, gray markets traffic in legitimate products through unofficial routes.
Gray market electronics may lack local warranties.
The term also applies to unofficial trading in securities before they're formally issued.
- resaleSecond sale
- smugglingIllegal covert transport
- back channelsInformal secret communication routes
- arbitrageExploiting price discrepancies
- illegal tradeUnlawful commercial exchange
counterfeit goods · illicit trade · scalping · diversion · warranty · trade restrictions · price controls · no warranty · contraband · cross-border trade · off the books · cash deal · street vendor · extralegal · knockoff · middleman · economic sanctions · bootleg
- informal dealsbarter, swap, trade-in, handshake deal, side deal
- business wrongsunfair competition, passing off, predatory pricing, price fixing, bid rigging
- gray marketdiversion, resellers, arbitrage, regional pricing, cross-border trade
- marketsbazaar, souk, vendors, food stalls, Grand Bazaar
- tradetrade balance, free trade, trade barriers, customs, trade deficit
- tradingbid, buy, ask, sell, trading
gray marketauthorized dealer
Seller granted official permission
official channels · franchise network · direct sales · factory outlet
gray, market, marketing, grey, supermarket, graying, grayish, marketplace, marketer