Image: Fake Labubu doll seized by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Trading Standards Team.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is issuing an urgent warning about the growing number of counterfeit “Labubu” dolls being sold in the UK. The viral plush toys – quirky fang-toothed “monster elf” figures made popular by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart – have become a global collector’s craze. This popularity has fuelled a surge in fakes, many being sold by third-party sellers via online marketplaces and local shops that are breaking the law.

Trading Standards teams have seized thousands of unsafe counterfeit Labubu dolls in recent weeks. In just one month, over 2,000 were confiscated from 13 retailers in North Tyneside, with further seizures in Greater Manchester, Humberside, North Somerset, and Scotland. Many of these items were discovered after tip-offs from concerned parents.

Counterfeit Labubu dolls are poorly made and unsafe. Many contain small, detachable parts such as eyes, hands, and feet, which present a serious choking hazard to young children. Loose stitching and exposed stuffing further increase the risk of suffocation.

These fakes often breach the UK’s Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, lacking CE or UKCA safety markings, importer details, and required safety warnings. Without proper safety checks, they may also contain toxic substances such as lead, harmful dyes, or banned plasticisers.

Genuine Pop Mart Labubu dolls have a distinctive elf-like design and include authenticity features such as a holographic POP MART sticker, a scannable QR code linking to the official Pop Mart website, and – on newer editions – a subtle UV stamp on one foot. Signs of a fake include overly vibrant colours and an incorrect teeth count, with authentic Labubus having nine. These markers are commonly missing or poorly replicated on counterfeit versions.

CTSI advises consumers to:

• Inspect packaging carefully – check for a UKCA or CE mark, and make sure the product lists a UK-based importer or manufacturer. Warnings and usage instructions should be present.

• Look for authenticity markers – genuine Pop Mart Labubu dolls feature a holographic sticker, a scannable QR code linking to the official Pop Mart website, and (on newer editions) a UV stamp on one foot.

• Check the product’s appearance – overly vibrant colours, poor stitching, or the wrong number of teeth (authentic Labubus have nine) are signs of a fake.

• Be cautious of “bargains” – counterfeit toys are often cheaper but may carry serious safety risks, including choking hazards and toxic materials.

• Buy from reputable retailers and avoid unfamiliar online vendors or third-party sellers on online marketplaces listings.

CTSI is looking at counterfeit goods as part of a wider campaign as the manufacturing and sale of these products is often linked to wider organised crime groups.

Anyone who is concerned or would like advice, contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales). In Scotland, contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000, or for Northern Ireland call Consumerline on 0300 123 6262.

More information here . . . 

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NABMA is delighted to announce a celebration of its long-standing partnership with Real Deal, featuring a week of information, case studies, and discussions from 14 to 18 July.

During the week, we hope you will join us for the events – to review your membership and, by the end of the week, renew your market’s commitment to the campaign.

Each day will showcase why Real Deal is—and has been—so important to the market industry since the National Markets Group was established in 2008 to provide a forum for a national, co-ordinated, cross-sector approach to tackling the trade in counterfeit goods at markets and car boot fairs. NABMA has been a constant and active participant in promoting Real Deal to our membership.

As a reminder, the Real Deal campaign is a cross-sector partnership initiative bringing together local authority trading standards services, market operators and traders, industry groups, and copyright and trademark owners. All are united in their commitment to tackling this problem. It is a preventative campaign focused on a national markets charter and provides guidance, information, and promotional support to market operators and trading standards to help participating markets stay fake-free.

Our week of celebration will bring together NABMA, Real Deal, and the National Markets Group for IP Protection.

During the week, we will explore:

• What Real Deal is and who it partners with.
• Whether you are already signed up—and if not, why your market should join the campaign.
• Case studies of Real Deal in action.

The main event will be on Thursday 17 July, with a free online session:
“Real Deal and its Importance to Your Market and Your Community.”

We will provide an overview of Real Deal, examples of counterfeit items, how to spot fakes, information on stolen goods in markets, toy safety hazards, and more. Booking will be available via the NABMA website.

SIGN UP HERE FOR THE EVENT ON ZOOM: https://nabma.com/event/real-deal-week-review-and-renew/

At the end of the week, we simply ask:
Time to Renew?
Will you (re)sign up?

Can your market afford not to be part of this campaign to protect integrity, consumers, and community?

Join us for this week of celebration and activities—and sign up to be part of Real Deal.

For more information on how to join the Real Deal or to discuss a re-promotion of your market’s existing Real Deal status, simply email your request to: info@realdealmarkets.co.uk 

 

“Signing the Real Deal Charter reflects our commitment to supporting a safe and welcoming market for everyone. We’re proud to work with our partners to promote fair trading and help ensure our community continues to enjoy a trusted and vibrant local marketplace.”

Kempton Park Racecourse General Manager, Simon Durrant

Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards are delighted to announce that Kempton Market is the most recent signatory to the national Real Deal campaign. Residents and visitors to the largest weekday market held in the South East, can shop with confidence following the signing by joint market operators The Jockey Club and Hughmark Continental Limited.

On 5^th May 2025 at the Kempton Park Community Race Day, the market operators officially signed the Real Deal National Markets’ Charter and committed to uphold the Real Deal Code of Practice. The Real Deal initiative brings together Buckinghamshire & Surrey trading standards, market operators and traders along with industry groups all of whom are united with a common commitment to tackle the sale of illegal and counterfeit goods.

Signing up to the Charter demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to safe and fair trading at their market and zero tolerance for criminality. The Real Deal initiative works alongside the enforcement work carried out by Trading Standards to combat the threat of counterfeit and illegal goods being sold. Counterfeit goods push out the sale of legal and legitimate goods, reducing the marketplace in terms of diversity of goods being sold, and undermining the confidence consumers have in their quality and safety.

Kempton Park Racecourse General Manager, Simon Durrant said: “Signing the Real Deal Charter reflects our commitment to supporting a safe and welcoming market for everyone. We’re proud to work with our partners to promote fair trading and help ensure our community continues to enjoy a trusted and vibrant local marketplace.”

Lew Hughes, Director of Hughmark Continental Limited said “as long term operators of Kempton market we are pleased that the efforts of our market staff in collaboration with Trading Standards, The Jockey Club and trade mark holders has resulted in the market achieving Real Deal certification. Market patrons can be assured that we will use our best endeavours to have only genuine products being sold at the market”.

Head of Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards Amanda Poole said “I am really pleased to see the Real Deal Charter be signed here today. It shows the commitment that we all have to have a fair trading environment and to keep people safe from fake and unsafe goods. All those involved in running the market have demonstrated that commitment and we are pleased to support them.”

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At the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) Awards, held at the Annual Conference Gala Dinner in Harrogate. Patricia Lennon, Real Deal Campaign Manager, was presented with the Krys Zasada Award, NABMA’s highest honour, for her leadership of the Real Deal Campaign.

In its citation for this award, NABMA said: “The Real Deal Campaign has been vital in maintaining the integrity of UK markets by promoting honest, safe trading environments. It focuses on protecting consumers and ensuring that counterfeit or unsafe goods are not sold in markets, making them trustworthy spaces for shoppers and traders alike. Patricia’s work has fostered partnerships between trading standards officers, market operators, and the Police, creating a nationwide effort to keep markets safe and transparent.”

Patricia Lennon said: “Receiving the Krys Zasada Award was such a surprise on the evening and a great honour. I was quite bowled over! It is a testament to the strong partnership that has been built between NABMA and the Real Deal over the past 15 years. Since the first discussions of the Real Deal concept, NABMA has been an ally in our joint objective of maintaining UK markets as fake-free environments to protect consumers and support legitimate market traders.”

NABMA’s prestigious awards celebrate the dedication, innovation, and service of individuals and teams who contribute to the success of the UK’s vibrant market industry. Sponsored by Blachere Illumination, the awards acknowledge the outstanding work that continues to elevates markets and communities.

Details of all the winners and those Highly Commended for the 2024 NABMA Market Awards can be found here (more Info).

Representatives of Manchester’s Market Services, Trading Standards and Councillors, gathered with campaign partners and stakeholders at three of the city’s markets to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Real Deal Charter signing in Manchester. The Council was the first in the UK to introduce the initiative.

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Gorton Market, Longsight Market and the Sunday Market at New Smithfield Market each welcome thousands of visitors each year. They’ve joined with around 500 markets in the UK as part of a dedicated campaign to ensure businesses and customers are protected from the harm of fake goods being sold.

The reinvigorated Real Deal campaign aims to reinforce the message that Manchester has zero tolerance for the sale of counterfeit goods at its markets and set the precedence for quality trading standards in the city.

In November 2009, Manchester was a founding member of the Real Deal when it became one of the first local authorities in the UK to sign and introduce the Real Deal Charter across the city’s council-run markets.

Only four years after its launch, the former Manchester City Council Market Manager, Tony Sproston, and Trading Standards Officer, Nicola Bray were presented with a special commendation award from the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT).

The highly-anticipated campaign re-launch also aims to tackle the funding of terrorism in the UK from the sale of fake goods and reassure market shoppers the products they purchase are safe and ethical.

Officials, traders and customers celebrated the first re-launch of the Sunday Market at New Smithfield Market on 4 August.

Eager crowds then gathered for the re-launch at Gorton and Longsight Markets on 7 August.

Greater Manchester Police officers from Operation Vulcan, representatives from the National Association of British Market Authorities, Trading Standards and Councillors were in attendance to mark the occasion.

Manchester market traders showed their support for the re-launch of the Real Deal Charter 

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Visitors to this summer’s annual Black Isle Show in Scotland were reassured that it was a safe, fair place to shop and to trade.

Thanks to the longstanding Real Deal partnership between Highland Council Trading Standards and organisers of the Black Isle Show, the Real Deal logo and its message of fake-free trading were prominently displayed. Next year will be the 10th anniversary of signing the the Real Deal Charter at this iconic Scottish event, marking a decade of joint working between trading standards and the show to protect shoppers and law abiding businesses in Highland from the harm caused by counterfeit products.

Information on fakes or counterfeits in Highland can be reported to Highland Trading Standards at http://highland.gov.uk or via @advicedotscot on 0808 164 6000 http://consumeradvice.scot

“The scheme has been fundamental in creating a step change amongst market operators to ensure that IP infringing goods are not sold at their markets” Duncan Stephenson, CTSI

At the 2024 Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) Conference in Leeds, the National Markets Group for IP Protection (NMG) celebrated the 15^th anniversary of its Real Deal Campaign for Fake-Free Markets.

Back in 2009, the Real Deal was officially launched at the CTSI national conference. It returned to mark the campaign’s 15-year milestone at the same annual gathering of trading standards officers from across the country. The event also kicked off a programme of Real Deal renewal in which existing Real Deal markets are invited to join with their local trading standards service and refresh their commitment to fake-free trading.

Joining the event in Leeds were representatives of West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service and the local authority market services in Calderdale and Bradford who took the opportunity to renew their Real Deal commitments.

Since its launch in 2009, operators of around 500 markets across the UK have made a commitment to fake-free trading by signing the voluntary Real Deal Charter with their local trading standards service. Introducing the Real Deal Charter and displaying the logo helps a market to give reassurance to shoppers that it is a safe place to buy and sell. It is also a strong warning message to any would-be traders in counterfeits who have no scruples about ripping off consumers, selling unsafe products or damaging local businesses.

The Real Deal model of partnership working has proved so successful that in 2018 it was extended into the digital arena with a specific programme, developed with the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, to support trading standards services in tackling the trade in fakes on social media buy-sell groups.

Gavin Terry, CTSI Lead Officer for IP and Chair of the National Markets Group for IP Protection, commented:

“At a time that local authorities are facing increased pressure on resources, the Real Deal programme offers a tried and tested model to help market operators stay fake-free. In addition, the National Markets Group can provide intelligence-led enforcement support to trading standards. It is a powerful combination of prevention and enforcement which can alleviate some of the burden on trading standards services.

“Criminals are always quick to spot opportunities for illegal activity. Markets, car boot fairs and online selling groups can be attractive especially where local enforcement activity is restricted. Operators of these market outlets need to be vigilant as counterfeit products bring a whole host of problems: consumers are ripped off; fake goods are untested and potentially unsafe; law abiding businesses lose sales; revenue is lost from the economy to the black market; and often the trade in fakes is linked to organised crime.

“Fortunately, the Real Deal provides a set of robust and easy to implement procedures which can help market operators keep IP criminals at bay. Our message to operators of all markets – large and small, in physical locations and on social media – is review your procedures, work with trading standards and re-promote your Real Deal status. It will not only reassure shoppers and law-abiding traders but will also send a strong keep-out message to sellers of fake-good.”

Duncan Stephenson, Director of External Affairs at CTSI, said: “IP crime is not victimless and impacts on legitimate business and local investment. The Real Deal is a fantastic initiative that tackles this problem head-on and delivers real and positive impact.

“The scheme has been fundamental in creating a step change amongst market operators to ensure that IP infringing goods are not sold at their markets, which is precisely the kind of effective collaborative working that brings results that leads to better protection for consumers.”

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It is always great to catch up with market operators who are part of the Real Deal. At the NABMA annual conference in Harrogate recently, we were delighted to meet with representatives from Morris Leslie who operate the Errol Sunday Market in Scotland. Errol Market has grown over the years to become Scotland’s largest weekly market and car boot operation with a wide range of traders and over 250 car boot sellers. The market signed the Real Deal Charter in November 2015, working with Perth & Kinross Trading Standards Service to ensure that visitors enjoy a fake-free shopping experience.

Commenting on Errol Market’s longstanding Real Deal status, Gavin Terry, Chair of the National Markets Group for IP Protection (NMG) and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s Lead Officer for IP, said: “That such a large and diverse market can implement Real Deal procedures and maintain this standard over many years, goes to show that running a fake-free event is something that can be achieved by all market and car boot venues working in partnership with their local trading standards service.”

Pictured (left to right): Andreja White, Rolley Fraser and Keith Payne of Morris Leslie celebrate Errol Market’s eight years’ membership of the Real Deal with Gavin Terry, Chair of the NMG.

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Gavin Terry (right) collected the CTSI Hero Award from Graham Mogg from the WRi Group.

The work of the National Markets Group for IP Protection (NMG) was highlighted recently at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s (CTSI) annual Hero Awards ceremony.

Two key members of the NMG’s Real Deal initiative – Gavin Terry, CTSI Lead Officer for Intellectual Property and Chair of the NMG, and Patricia Lennon, Real Deal campaign manager since 2008 – were jointly awarded the CTSI Hero Award for Intellectual Property (IP) for their work on the campaign to help keep markets fake-free.

The awards, hosted by CTSI at the House of Lords in November, recognised significant contributions to consumer protection across the UK.

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