Justin Heaven, owner of Fantasy World in York, shares his opinion on the growing presence of fake and counterfeit product in the party market.
Big Problem
“Fake and counterfeit costumes are a big problem in the costume and party industry. The customer always wants something they have seen online, at a similar price – but suitable for them – such as an officially licensed Wonder Woman in a size 28, or a Superman for £12.”
The Public
“The public don’t care about much other than price. They go off a photo online – which could be of the proper licensed costume anyway!”
We’re Not Argos
“Retailers need to understand counterfeits are illegal. Licence holders need to realise some retailers only have small budgets and we are not all the same. Customers need to realise that small independent shops are not Argos – we can’t hold vast stocks of outfits in every size and colour and sell them for just a few pence profit as some sellers do on eBay and Amazon!”
Working Together
“I do think that if licensed costumes were cheaper, they would sell more and no one would try and copy them – many are not good value in the first place. If suppliers don’t work with costume shops, we will be out of business, as trading is becoming more difficult.”
