Bradford White Water Heaters, a subsidiary of Bradford White Corp., has announced a revised e-commerce policy that permits the sale of its products to professional contractors by authorized U.S.-based wholesalers who agree to comply with the company’s online selling and Internet Minimum Advertised Price (IMAP) requirements.

According to Bradford White’s senior director of marketing, Carl Pinto, Jr., the new policy has been driven by two key factors. “First, our customers are demanding it. There has been a growing demand by our wholesale customers to sell their complete lines, including Bradford White products, through ecommerce channels to remain competitive with the big box stores who are targeting contractors,” said Pinto. “And second, by us having an official and enforceable policy, we can more effectively address the unauthorized on-line vendors who are not selling our products in a way that we believe is in the best interest of the plumbing wholesale community or professional installers and their customers.”

Potential authorized online sellers of Bradford White products will be required to complete an ECommerce application and bring their e-commerce websites into compliance with Bradford White’s e-commerce requirements and IMAP. Beginning Dec. 20, the company will commence formal enforcement of its IMAP policy. Bradford White has partnered with a third-party enforcement agency to assist in identifying and notifying online sellers in violation of its IMAP policy.

“Our industry is changing at a more rapid pace than ever, and that includes product sales and distribution,” said Pinto. “Many of our wholesale customers are quickly implementing or broadening their e-commerce programs to remain competitive and insure their future growth. We want to make sure we are supporting their continued evolution in meeting these changing market demands.”