Consumers searching for tablets, smartphones and console games for Christmas gifts are most likely to end up with a fake product instead, a study has found.
KPMG, which conducted the investigation into counterfeit products, said that London is one of the top cities affected by bogus goods, with the capital’s High Street performance suffering as a result.
Eight out of the 12 top fake gifts were readily available in London.
KPMG’s ‘counterfeit Christmas index’ was as follows:
1) DVD – movie in current Top 10 chart
2) Console game – in current Top 10 chart
3) Toy
4) Tablet
5) Smartphone
6) High end trainers
7) Leading designer sunglasses
8) Leading designer handbag
9) High-end branded watch
10) High-end branded perfume
11) High-end branded lipstick
12) Branded jeans
KPMG also stated that issues caused by fake products were as rampant on the internet as offline.
“The High Street may be in slightly better health than it was a year ago, but its recovery is under sustained attack from counterfeiters determined to prey on the pressure many people feel to ‘deliver the goods’ to their loved ones at Christmas,” commented David Eastwood, global and UK head of KPMG’s intellectual property practice.
“It may be true that everybody loves a bargain, but the damage to society and cost to health of buying fraudulent and fraudulently obtained goods should never be understated.”
“As counterfeiters look to cash in on shoppers trying to stretch their limited budgets it is vital that Customs and companies continue to tighten anti-counterfeit measures making it harder for fake goods to find their way onto our streets.”