HADDONFIELD, NJ — Reviva Labs, the 45-year-old natural skin care product retailer, has instituted a Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) program and hired a specialist to ensure it is enforced by all resellers — whether online or brick-and-mortar.

In a release, the company said downward pricing pressures from "online behemoths" have forced it to take the action to protect its relationships with its retail partners, who have backed away from stocking its products.

“This problem is not unique to us,” said Jeri Trachtman, VP of sales for Reviva, “but it’s been heavily affecting us since we’ve always been a very affordable skin care brand. Volatility in online pricing has many retailers concerned they’ll have trouble selling and making a profit. If they grow too worried they might start removing Reviva’s items from their shelves."

A quick look at one of Reviva's top-sellers, the 1.5-ounce size 5% Glycolic Acid Cream,  showed a price of $27.50 if purchased on the company's website, and discounted to $16.49 on Vitacost and $15 on Amazon.

To stop the ongoing pricing wars and potential damage to its brand, Reviva Labs said it is working to help its long-term brick and mortar resellers while also elevating Reviva’s products where they’re sold online.

“Everyone selling Reviva wants to make money and we believe our consumers want the products available online and in stores close to their homes,” Reviva CEO Ian Strassler said in the release.

Ed Jones, owner of Nutrition World in Chattanooga, TN, is just one independent retailer who has encouraged store owners to be bold and assert their influence indemanding MAP enforcement from its vendors.WholeFoodsMagazinesat in on a negotiation conducted by Betsy and Ramona Billingslea during the latestExpoWest.

Reviva's new program, and the hiriing of MAPtrackers to enforce it, is intended to help expand the availability of its products as the pricing stabilizes around the world.

“Reviva Labs is a terrific brand that offers affordable natural skin care to its customers. But as we’ve seen with so many other companies the online world has been brutal on their pricing as eBay, Amazon, and Walmart force prices lower every day,” said Jeff Driscoll, MAPtrackers operations manager.

MAPtrackers' technology monitors online activities, tracking and reporting MAP program violations. A series of escalating corrective actions can then be applied to bring violators into compliance. “The end goal,” Driscoll said, “is to have everyone within MAP so that everyone can enjoy a healthy bottom line.”

Reviva Labs’ distributors, resellers, and sales representatives have all been notified of Reviva’s latest MAP program. Resellers that don’t currently comply with the MAP program should expect to be contacted by MAPtrackers or Reviva Labs in the near future.

WholeFoods Magazine is hosting a free educational webinar on the topic of MAP pricing on Thursday, April 19 at 2pm Eastern. Register to attend.