Scots ‘most likely to shun counterfeit goods’

Scottish consumers are less likely to buy counterfeit goods than people in other parts of the UK, according to a new report.

People in Scotland were less likely to buy counterfeit films and music. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

Less than a third (32%) of people in Scotland admit they sometimes buy fake clothing and accessories, a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers found.

That compares with more than half (53%) of people in Northern Ireland and 41% in the UK as a whole.

Around one in ten (13%) of those surveyed in Scotland admit buying counterfeit alcohol, compared with a UK average of 18% and 24% in Northern Ireland.

Fake cigarettes were bought by 9% of respondents in Scotland, 6% of people in Northern Ireland and 13% of those surveyed in the UK as a whole.

Choice

People in Scotland were also less likely to buy counterfeit films and music, with 38% admitting they did so compared with a UK average of 42%.

More than half (51%) of those in Scotland who bought fake goods said they did so because they could not afford the genuine product and only around a third (34%) were worried about getting caught.

The majority of those surveyed throughout the UK (90%) believe counterfeiting to be morally wrong, the report said.

Counterfeiting and piracy could cost the UK economy up to £30 billion and more than 14,500 jobs, according to the European Commission.

Mark James, from PwC’s anti-counterfeiting team, said people increasingly view access to fakes as a normal consumer choice.

“Companies invest significant amounts of time, money in effort in developing their products, while manufacturers and buyers of counterfeit goods strike right at the heart of that,” he said.

“Ultimately, companies are seeing their brand, reputation and revenues stolen.”

The PwC report Counterfeit Goods in the UK was based on a survey of 1,073 respondents carried out in August.