There’s no cutting corners when it comes to quality. High technology demands high-quality parts and consumables. As ABB’s installed base continues to grow, the presence of gray market parts is also increasing.
A recent internal investigation conducted across three countries revealed that none of the gray market suppliers evaluated met ABB’s quality and compliance standards—particularly for customers in the Business Line OEM segment.
1. How has the rise of gray market channels and unknown online traders impacted the spare parts business, both in terms of competition and customer trust?
The rise of gray market channels has had a clear impact on our spare parts business—both from a competitive and a reputational standpoint. Competing with unauthorized sellers who offer lower-priced products has put pressure on our revenues and profit margins.
But the bigger concern is customer trust. Many customers who buy from gray market sources don’t realize they’re receiving parts that are expired, defective, or not covered by any support. When problems occur, it’s often ABB that gets blamed instead of the seller, which can damage our reputation and erode confidence in our brand.
2. What are the main risks customers face when sourcing spare parts from non-authorized sellers, and how do these risks affect their operations?
Buying spare parts from unauthorized sellers can lead to a number of serious operational and safety issues. Faulty or incompatible components often cause equipment failures and unplanned downtime, which can have a direct impact on production. These parts also tend to fail more frequently, resulting in higher maintenance costs due to additional service calls, replacements, and technician hours.
There’s also a clear safety risk—non-genuine parts may not meet ABB’s strict performance or safety standards, putting both people and equipment in danger. And because these parts aren’t covered by a manufacturer’s warranty or technical support, it becomes much more difficult for customers to plan maintenance or manage supply chain risks effectively.
Ultimately, what might look like a short-term saving can quickly turn into higher costs, operational inefficiencies, and even production losses.
3. From a product perspective, how does the quality of parts from the gray market compare with genuine, authorized parts—and what consequences have you seen when customers choose lower-cost alternatives?
Gray market parts may look identical to genuine ABB components at first glance, but the differences quickly show in how they perform. These parts often lack the same engineering precision, material quality, and rigorous testing that go into our authorized products.
As a result, customers who choose non-genuine parts often face reduced performance, more frequent breakdowns, and potential safety risks. Over time, these problems lead to higher maintenance costs and operational disruptions. In some cases, using unauthorized components can also create regulatory or reputational issues—especially if a failure affects safety or compliance.
What might seem like a cost-saving choice at first can end up being much more costly in the long run.
4. What strategies is your team implementing to counter the influence of gray market and online traders, while ensuring customers can access spare parts quickly and reliably?
We’re taking a comprehensive approach to protect our customers and strengthen trust in ABB’s official channels. A key focus for us is traceability—we’re improving transparency throughout the entire supply chain so customers can always be confident about the origin and authenticity of their parts.
We’ve also introduced anti-counterfeit labeling to make authenticity checks quick and simple, and we continue to expand our Authorized Partner Program to ensure we collaborate only with trusted, verified distributors.
To further enhance availability, we’re optimizing regional warehousing and logistics, reducing lead times and improving delivery speed. And with our Robotics One self-service platform, customers can easily find product information and order genuine ABB spare parts online.
Together, these initiatives ensure our customers receive high-quality, fully supported parts—quickly, reliably, and with total peace of mind.
5. How do you see the spare parts market evolving in the next 3–5 years with the growth of e-commerce, and what role will trust and traceability play in differentiating official channels from the gray market?
E-commerce is really changing the way customers buy spare parts, especially smaller and mid-sized businesses that value speed and convenience. We see platforms like the new ABB Robotics One becoming the go-to place for customers to find and order genuine ABB spare parts—it’s easy to use, reliable, and fully verified.
As online channels keep growing, trust and traceability will be what truly set authorized suppliers apart from the gray market. By ensuring full traceability, we can stop unauthorized reselling and make sure every part meets ABB’s strict safety and performance standards.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to transparency, reliability, and strong after-sales support. Those are the things that build long-term relationships with our customers—especially in industries where every minute of downtime really matters.
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