AUGUST TRADE NEWS Bad weather blamed for shopping centre delay Chester council  not supporting retailers New rules 'won't help save retail centre' Irish shoppers look abroad for bargains British consumers spend more on beauty products Yorkshire town gets behind plastic bag reduction scheme Rising obesity prompts calls for VAT rule changes eBay restructures fee scheme to make fixed-priced sales cheaper Online sales boom despite slowdown Music retailer goes out of business Matalan named and shamed for how it treats wholesalers BCC slams higher parking charges proposals Booming wholesaler moves to new warehouse Market traders told to only 'shout quietly' London's retailers show growth despite gloom Counterfeit goods dealer sentenced to prison UK's smallest town protests supermarket plan More retailers and wholesalers going out of business Online retail sector predicted to expand rapidly Henley retailers protest development plans Retail sales continue to slow Tiffany appeals US court's eBay ruling Report criticises electricity suppliers' treatment of small businesses MK retailers protest Tesco expansion plan Yorkshire retailers protest supermarket move Manchester wholesaler shut down over fraud worries Businesses welcome plans to reduce red tape Rate hold accepted by small businesses Internet sales put pressure on the high street Huge counterfeit goods haul in Somerset Irish entrepreneur online retail plans Wholesaler sector set to struggle Staycations could help British retailers Retailers 'gloomy' about economic outlook Retailers report footfall continues to decline as consumers cut back Hidden door reveals huge counterfeiting operation in Manchester shop No recession for the UK this year East London wholesaler goes into receivership London mayor reveals plans to support small retailers Toy retailers defy gloom Retailers urged to embrace online sales Trade News Archive August 08 July 08 June 08 May 08 April 08 March 08 February 08 January 08 Subscribe to our newsletter   Go to The Wholesaler UK Directory 7th August 2008 Huge counterfeit goods haul in Somerset Officers from the south-west of England have intercepted a huge cargo of counterfeit goods bound for France. The team from Somerset County Council's trading standards service stopped a vehicle that was found to contain nearly £200,000 of fake designer clothing. This makes it the largest single haul of counterfeit goods ever uncovered in the UK. It is believed that the officers were tipped off when a local transport company became suspicious about a shipment from China it had picked up at Exeter Airport. When the packages were opened, they were found to contain more than 1,200 fake items. These included handbags which claimed to be made by the likes of Burberry, Prada, Versace, Chanel, Ralph Lauren and Armani. Local trading standard officer Andy Fowler told the BBC: "A lot of consumers would think, 'What's the harm in buying some probably cheaper products from markets' … but it can have a real impact on local traders." Councillor Henry Hobhouse added: "This latest seizure highlights that the trade in counterfeits is a global problem and I am pleased that our own officers are playing an important role in combating it. "Anyone caught dealing in counterfeits in Somerset can expect to end up in court and also faces the prospect of having their assets confiscated as the proceeds of crime."     (c) 2008 Adfero Ltd. Sponsor of August Trade News Sony TV Brackets   Comment on this news story To comment on any story please click on the above link, put the story title in the subject line and please provide your name, trading style ie. retailer or wholesaler and the town where you trade.