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“20 football stadiums” worth of fake goods warehouses were sieged.
Chinese authorities have raided Pandabuy warehouses as local and international authorities have worked together for months to crack down on the Chinese brand’s operations.
Pandabuy serves as a middleman by functioning as a sales platform and having services such as photography and shipping for independent vendors of Chinese-made products. Customers can surf through Pandabuy’s listings to find the vendor and item that best suits their needs.
The products, however, are almost always counterfeit.
Earlier in April, authorities executed the raid after 16 brands reported legal action on Pandabuy for copyright infringement. Nike, adidas, and Supreme are reported among the right-holders involved with the probe.
More than 200 public security branch officers, 50 private sector investigators, and local police were involved, according to reports.
Millions of packages for overseas buyers were confiscated along with 200,000 pairs of sneakers.
After six months of diligent work, it was discovered that the infringing activities of Pandabuy extended to five cities in China, involving over 2,200 employees, with warehouses spanning 100,000 square meters, equivalent to nearly 20 football stadiums.
Statement via Cantoop, a Chinese-based intellectualy properpty police firm
Pandabuy, the online sales site accused of supplying counterfeit goods, has risen in popularity since 2022 through social media platforms such as TikTok, Discord, and others with “Panda Haul” videos, where influencers/customers showcase their recent orders.
The influencers then promote discount codes as the marketing tactic encourages young people to purchase knockoff products from their favorite brands.
Pandabuy has exploded in the last two years a search traffic graph shows how rapidly Pandabuy’s Google Trends search volume has grown, surpassing searches for Nike’s signature Air Force 1 Low model.
In 2023 alone, Pandabuy’s revenue reportedly amounted to nearly $5.5 billion with over 50 million pieces of counterfeit goods.
The mission of cracking down on fake sneakers continues as Pandabuy’s warehouses have already reopened and resumed limited operations.
However, Pandabuy has also notified customers that their products have been “discarded” on the grounds of being “branded” items.
Stay tuned to Snkrs Day on Instagram as the story develops.
