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Barbour goes to war on web fakes
CRACKING DOWN ... the Barbour factory at Simonside.
ICONIC clothing firm Barbour is cracking down on counterfeit gangs to ensure customers buy only the genuine article.
Bosses at the world-famous South Shields-based manufacturer have employed a specialist firm to locate factories that are making copies – and shut them down.
And it has also teamed up with an expert internet security firm to try to nip counterfeit online sales in the bud.
Group finance director, Brenda Readman-Bell, said the production of fakes had risen drastically since the firm’s recent move into the fashion market, and added that Manchester was a counterfeit hotspot.
She said: “We have employed a company to go out and find where the fakes are, and the majority are in Manchester.
“We do not know how much this costs us as a company. It is very important to us that our customers are protected.”
Mrs Readman-Bell said fakes were getting harder to spot, adding: “We employ about 700 people worldwide, and we don’t want any damage to them.”
Barbour’s website lists 60 sites that sell phoney goods, which operate throughout the world, and often sell at high prices to persuade buyers they are genuine stock.
But Mrs Readman-Bell says customers, many of whom have e-mailed Barbour to warn of the dangers, often pay but receive nothing in the post.
The firm, which had a turnover in 2010 of £89.8m and pre-tax profits £11.3m, is also aware of fake buttons and belts being imported from China and used on the illegal garments.
To crack down on the counterfeit websites, Barbour has launched a new highly-praised internet intiative with Leeds-based internet security firm Search Laboratory.
The pair have launched a search marketing campaign on Google to help direct buyers to genuine sales stockists.
The move, which will see it take advantage of Google’s paid search network, will warn people of the pitfalls of buying fakes.
Steve Buck, Barbour’s managing director, said: “Protecting our customers and our brand is of paramount importance to us.
“When we suggested this unique approach to counterfeiting with Search Laboratory, they understood what we wanted to achieve and helped us develop an impactful campaign.”
Established in 1894, Barbour produces more than 130,000 hand-crafted wax jackets each year at Simonside.
Ian Harris, CEO of Search Laboratory, said: “Barbour’s approach is pioneering. Usually clients want to sell more of their products or services online.
“However, Barbour is wholly focused on maintaining its reputation as a luxury lifestyle clothing brand.
“It’s the first time I have seen a brand use search marketing in this way and we are really excited about what Barbour is trying to achieve with this innovative use of Pay Per Click marketing.”
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Comments
There are 16 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
brybhoy1888
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 07:24 PMSeen all before with stuff in Glasgow at The Barras it's called people openly ask you if you want ciggy's and bag's ysl,gucci,D&G,Louis Vutton and prfumes all FAKES ..... Golden Virginia to any ciggy's you mention they have all the fakes and are sold for say £30 every 200,now if you look at the amount of chinese within Glagow now there are millions of them as loads of imigrants like newcastle have let these muppets in the borders as i completly hate clandestines the countys bad enough .Take them away he presto but the fake thing has been going for so long now they had to set - up a special tatics group for nThe Barras to catchy monkey and it was not easy as it was showen on t.v not so long ago,but were talking massive amounts of cold - cash here and everyone likes a bargain and if it looks ok you will buy it as these days the money people have they are keeping for that wee need but a prefare like real dvds like peter kay or kevin bridges or any film as it's my collection of good movies ect all due to copys are diabolical as they never did get it right and now all the bad pirate sites are being shut by SOPA will have a big knock - on effect on the movie heads that sell them.
East Boldon Lad
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 04:05 PMThere are plenty of honest internet traders, who supply goods at competitive prices, noone suggests otherwise. A fake YSL handbag poses no threat to the consumer, but the profits can finance crime and terrorism. Anecdote, in one area of the UK criminals, who were career armed bank robbers, gave up that potentially dangerous line of crime to produce and market counterfeit goods, at much less risk to themselves.
geordie999
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:44 AMmot up 2 front wishbone arms in need of repair ...local dealer wanted £88 for the 2 (new),,,,, Ebay .....2 arms(new) inc postage ..£20 ..a saving of £68 ...(genuine trader )......looked good quality ..can handle the speed bumps and passed the test .....dont know where they were made ..but ..i do like the price .. Fake goods ..why are some buying them ..to reduce costs possibly ? foreign workers ..why do brit companies take them on ..to reduce costs ..possibly )? ...if its illegal to buy copies ..why is it not illegal to take on foreign workers after getting rid of locals ?....
wasthatthatguy
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 10:18 PMThere's a bloke in Sunderland who's got a counterfeit Ferrari. It's got something like a Toyota chassis and engine. But the body panels are Ferrari shape and colour. And, it definitely looks like the real thing.
East Boldon Lad
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 09:47 PMI just cannot believe how naive some of you are; it is not a question of buying a cheaper own brand product, but of buying a potentially dangerous or extremely shoddy product and putting money in the hands of criminal entreptreneurs. I accept the fact that I cannot afford a Bentley, don't lose sleep over it, and settle for a Vauxhall Astra. Regrettably unless you have first hand experience of tackling counterfeiting you have no idea of the extraordinary range of counterfeited products and the criminal credentials and lifestyles of those who fund and promote the businesses who make the goods.
geordie999
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 07:39 PMAre those of high morals becoming the minority of wealthy who can still afford expensive goods , and the rest of us ...we just have to take what we can get ?
Scritti Politti
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 07:37 PMCould it be that the reason Barbour is a premium brand, is because the products are home made by people guaranteed at least minimum wage and not cobbled together by 12yr old's in a far eastern sweatshop for $1 a day?
pithaspat
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 04:06 PMYIP,,over-rated and over-priced...run by an upperclass tory!,,lol,,,margaret 'thatcher' barbour! . . .haha
Hebburnman
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 12:47 PMYeah but if you just can not afford some of these items then some will have no choice but to go for the cheaper fake stuff, Its not all dangerous and a lot of it is manufactured in the same way as the named stuff it just does not have "The Badge" Im onot saying its right and i understand the cost to the genuine companys but if you dont have the money and you need that car part or whatever to get to work you simply buy the cheapest there is.
East Boldon Lad
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 11:17 AMProblem is that some fake products are dangerous (batteries, car brake pads, protective equipment as examples). Unless you have worked as or legally advised those working as anti counerfeiting investigators, you can have a blinkered view regarding the ramifications of counterfeiting, not least the involvement of organised criminals, who make a great deal of money out of such enterprises.
Hebburnlee
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 09:51 AMSome people buy a second-hand car, some buy a new one, and the lucky few buy a Ferrari, etc. Horses for courses.
Hebburnman
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 08:45 AMNot condoning fakes but Times are hard and as others have said upto £249.95 for a coat?? I can see why people will go for the cheaper options. Because of cuts at work I myself am £400 a month down and in the past I would have said NO I would never buy a fake but now I i have to think twice. Its a sign of the times. May be if some of these companys stoped being greedy and set the prices at a more relistic level they would not loose as many sales to fake goods.
geordie999
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 07:34 PMhow much does a fake Barbour cost ? ..top end genuine listed at ££249.95 (genuine ) out of my price range ........ never seen a fake Barbour ?
East Boldon Lad
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 07:08 PMAs far as I am concerned PCs are an extravagant irrelevance, whether it be John P or a Tory, Liberal,or UKIPper with his her snout allegedly in the trough. What percentage of the electorate will turn out to vote ?20% at most. I attend PACT and CAF meetings, where Police communicate with those who attend such meetings, and listen to attendees, then report back about local and neighbourhood concerns. Northumbria Police seem to do a good job of communicating with public and responding to concerns and priorities, and, from my professional experience, cooperate with and work constructively with partners.
BoldonLad
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 04:59 PMYes Chartist, but if we do not have (elected) Police Commisioners, Lord John Prescott will not be able to get his snout even more firmly in the trough, by becomming Commisioner for the Hull area. He could at least stand aside (at over 70) and allow a younger person the chance to trough it.
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