Left to right: Councillor Gill Heath and Trading Standards Officers Mark Wilson and Nigel Cotton with the Real Deal Award
15 November 2017
Five popular Staffordshire markets and two car boot sale events have now joined a national campaign to ensure goods sold at their events are legitimate and that visitors aren’t ripped off.
In the run-up to Christmas Staffordshire County council’s trading standards team, which coordinates the Real Deal campaign locally, is urging more to get on board and give customers peace of mind.
The campaign aims to promote a fair and safe trading environment, including ensuring markets are free from counterfeit goods. The campaign brings together councils, market operators, traders, industry groups and copyright and trademark owners. Event organisers signing up to the Real Deal charter are demonstrating their commitment to tackling counterfeit goods sales and keeping visitors safe.
Markets in Cannock (indoor and outdoor), Penkridge, Tamworth, Lichfield and Burton are all signed up to the initiative in addition to car boot organiser at Ashwood near Kinver and Stourbridge Rugby Club.
Now the county council has received recognition from the national campaign organisers as a result of its successful running in Staffordshire.
Staffordshire County Council’s communities leader Gill Heath said:
“The Real Deal campaign has been a huge success in Staffordshire thanks to the hard work and commitment of event organisers and our trading standards team. This is undoubtedly creating a better business environment at these events, making them more attractive places to go and giving customers peace of mind when they shop. Event organisers are working hard to ensure theirs are fake free and are sending out a clear message that they will not tolerate irresponsible traders.
“Counterfeit goods can cause real harm, for example if they are cosmetic or electrical items and they also damage our economy. It is in everyone’s interests to combat the sale of such goods and it is important we all work together to do this. We’re now asking other market and car boot event organisers across the county to get on board and sign up.”
Patricia Lennon, coordinator of the Real Deal scheme nationally said:
“Staffordshire Country Council and the event organisers it is working with have demonstrated a long-term commitment to ensure these venues are fake-free. This means they can protect shoppers, traders and local businesses from the harm caused by counterfeit goods.”
Graham Mogg, chairman of the National Markets Group said: ‘
“The whole ethos of the NMG is a collaborative multi-agency approach to reducing the availability of counterfeit, pirated and often unsafe goods at markets, car boot sales and on social media. The Real Deal Charter, funded by our industry members and implemented by trading standards in partnership with market operators plays a vital role in that work.
“We are very grateful for the continued support and dynamic approach of Staffordshire County Council trading standards in implementing the Real Deal Charter across its markets and I we are delighted to be able to recognise their achievements by presenting them with an NMG award.”
Across the UK, around 500 markets and car boot fairs have signed the Real Deal charter.