US Customs and Border Protection authorities at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport seized three shipments from China from March to May 2011 containing more than 47,000 fake designer clothes worth about $14.3 million. Labels included Chanel, Polo, Gucci, and Dior.
Oddly enough, in May 2011, China’s retail sales grew to 1.36 trillion yuan ($209 billion), up 17.1% from the previous year, according to a Toronto Globe & Mail article. Analysts say the 'fast fashion' industry -- clothing for the average consumer who can’t afford luxury brands -- is among the most promising category in retail, because Chinese consumers are increasingly able to buy what they want, not just what they need.
In general, Chinese brands are struggling to overcome their reputations for poor quality and lack of cachet. While Chinese brands including JNBY, Ochirly, Meters/Bonwe, and Youngor are beginning to challenge their foreign competitors at home, marketing experts note very few of them managed to establish a strong reputation for a distinctive fashion.
No surprise there. It's not that counterfeiters exist in China, they're on this side of the Pacific too, but that China's governmental structure pays less attention to enforcing trademark and intellectual property laws than it does in enforcing consumer safety laws.
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