Dr. Jeff Bray from our Retail Management team contributed today to a debate on BBC radio into the impact of counterfeit products on UK consumers and retailers.
The discussion was triggered by the seizure of a large shipment of counterfeit clothing and jewellery at Southampton docks at the weekend.
Dr. Bray identified that it is estimated that some £100bn of counterfeit trade occurs each year & while some consumers may see an opportunity to to find a bargain, counterfeit goods are often of poorer quality and possibly even dangerous having not been subjected to the legislative controls that legitimate goods will have.
They evade normal taxes, and can inflict significant damage to the value of the brands that they are copying. While it is big business, efforts to detect and catch the import of counterfeit goods has been stepped up in recent years leading to record seizures.