Grey Markets Formation Emanating from Economic Fluctuations and Customs Gaps (Case: Samsung Home Appliances)

Grey markets are unofficial markets where economic players indulge in trading securities and other commodities. They are shaped whenever a suspended stock or commodity, neither purchased nor sold by players, is brought to the market. Such commodities would be traded even before the official trading initiates. The issue is prevalent in developing and emerging markets. Accordingly, this study seeks to explore the formation of grey markets resulting from economic fluctuations and customs gaps, with a specific focus on the Samsung home appliances market in Iran.
 

The present study, applied-developmental, is an applied-developmental one and is qualitative-quantitative in terms of its exploratory nature. Its statistical sample, in the qualitative phase, includes 20 experts in the field of grey markets in the home appliances industry, selected using a judgmental/purposive approach and snowball sampling. The statistical sample, in the quantitative phase, includes 13 experts in the field of grey markets in the home appliances industry, selected purposefully. To collect the required data both in the qualitative phase of the interview and the quantitative phase, a pairwise comparison questionnaire was distributed among the respondents. The data theory approach was adopted to analyze the collected data in the qualitative part, and the fuzzy Dematel approach was used in the quantitative phase.
 

The obtained results of fuzzy Dematel analysis, proved cross-border markets with 23.2332 interactions to have the highest priority; i.e. they need to be more scrutinized and investigated by researchers and policymakers. Besides, the smuggling of goods with the interaction of 22.2800 had the second priority. Based on the achieved findings, more attention must be paid to the customs to prevent such issues which could directly shape grey markets. Next, the fluctuations of economic indicators with the interaction of 22.772 got the third priority. The fluctuations were mainly caused by the socio-political stability or instability of the country in a certain period. Finally, the stagnation of the home appliances markets with 22.292 interactions took the fourth priority.
 

According to the achieved results, economic fluctuations and lack of supervision at border checkpoints end in the formation, emergence, and extension of grey markets. Besides, the lack of effective border controls sets the ground proper for unauthorized or illegal distributors to transport or smuggle Samsung products into Iran, helping the formation of grey and parallel markets.