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WILKO is now selling official Labubu dolls – but shoppers have been infuriated by the hefty price tags.

The dolls, which originate from Hong Kong, are retailing for £50 at the high street chain.

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Customers took to social media to express their anger at the prices of the fang-toothed, fuzzy dolls.

One said on Instagram: ” The prices are horrendous.”

Another added: “Get stuffed.”

While a third said: “Disgusting prices.”

The dolls are currently available both in Wilko stores and online.

Wilko returned to UK high streets last year after announcing it would be closing all of its shops back in October 2023.

The Labubu doll was first introduced in 2015 but has soared in popularity through celebrity endorsements and its ‘ugly-cute’ design.

They are particularly popular across Southern Asia, with K-Pop performer, Lisa, sharing the fluffy doll on her Instagram story which skyrocketed the craze around the toy.

The hashtag Labubu has appeared more than a million times on TikTok.

Where else can you purchase Labubu’s

The figures are available on the Pop Mart platform but consumers have to be incredibly savvy to get them as they are often sold out.

However, if you live near London, Pop Mart’s new flagship shop has just opened on Oxford Street, which often has exclusive drops of the dolls.

These retail for £32, far less than Wilko.

The doll is also available on Amazon for much cheaper prices, although highly sought after editions can sell for upwards of three figures.

You might have more luck looking on second hand retailers such as Vinted or Depop, who often sell high quality items for half the price.

If you don’t want to purchase the item, you can even rent the dolls.

You can borrow the charms for around £4 a day on platforms such as By Rotation.

Growing number of fakes

Not only have the dolls risen to extremely high prices, there is huge number of counterfeits arriving in the UK.

Out of the 259,000 fake toys that arrived in the UK this year, 90% have been Labubu dolls.

Experts value this haul at nearly £3.3million.

Many of these toys fail safety checks for banned chemicals and pose significant choking hazards.

However, despite these safety concerns, IPO research said that 92% of customer we’re aware they we’re buying counterfeit products, but that the price was more important.

How to avoid buying fake toys

Many customers are not aware that they are buying fakes, but the IPO research found that 58% would think twice before purchasing if they knew the safety risks.

Customers should stick to there trusted retailers and official branded websites to avoid purchasing fakes.

Additionally, prices that look ‘to good to be true’ are likely to imply a fake item.

You should also look thoroughly through the reviews before purchasing, look beyond the first few.

When the toy arrives you should look for a UKCA safety mark and a UK or EU contact on the pacakaging.

The packaging should also look of high standard and not have any immediate signs of wear.

For Labubu’s particular, collectors suggest looking for signs such as brightness of the packaging, pop mart stamp on their foot, number of teeth of the dolls should have (nine) and the presence of the a QR code, to ensure the validity of the doll.

A MAJOR high street retailer has launched a huge closing down sale ahead of the closing of six of its branches across the UK.

GAME – which operates around 240 stores across the UK – has slashed the prices of some of its products by up to 20 per cent across the closing outlets.

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The retailing giant announced the closure of six of its stores across the UK in August and September, including outlets in Eldon Square in Newcastle and at Galleries Shopping Centre in Bristol.

Fans of the gaming store spotted major discounts at their local outlets that are due to be shut.

GAME, which stocks video games, consoles, and even LEGO products, is owned by Frasers Group – the company behind brands Sports Direct and House of Fraser.

Closing down sale signs were seen outside the popular store in Eldon Square last month, reports ChronicleLive.

Even more have appeared since the first sighting, with discounts slapped on countless products in the store.

These savings could grow even larger as the store heads closer to its final day of trading.

It is not yet clear, however, whether this will be in August, September, or at a later date.

Other stores due for the chop include one outlet in the Metrocentre Shopping Centre in Gateshead as well as another in Southend, Essex.

This follows the closure of a number of other GAME stores in recent months, including shops in the Trafford Centre in Manchester in June and the outlet in the Victoria Centre in Nottingham in July.

GAME was acquired by the Frasers Group, owned by businessman Mike Ashley, in 2019, as part of a £52 million deal.

However, in January 2020 the retailer announced plans to close 40 of its more than 300 stores across the UK.

Today, there are roughly 240 Game stores operating across the UK.

HIGH STREET STRUGGLES

The high street has majorly struggled in recent years due to a combination of factors.

Shoppers are buying much more of their products online, while retailers have faced higher rental, wage and energy costs.

The Centre for Retail Research says the sector has been going through a “permacrisis” since the 2008 financial crash.

Figures from the Centre show 34 retail companies operating multiple stores stopped trading in 2024, leading to the closure of 7,537 shops.

Businesses have cautioned more closures are to be expected this year as well due to the hike to employer NICs and staff wages.

The rate of employer NICs was hiked from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent and the threshold at which they are paid lowered from £9,100 to £5,000 in April.

The national minimum wage was also increased by up to £12.21 a hour.

Some big names have already announced mass store closures in 2025, including Poundland, Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop.

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A MAJOR retailer has slashed the price of a stylish egg chair to just £99 and it is perfect to revamp your garden this summer.

Homebase has reduced the cost of its hanging egg chair to £99 down from £199.

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The moves gives customers a chance to save £100 on the popular garden item ahead of the summer.

The retailers take on the chair comes in a grey colour and is 192cm high.

It also comes with cushions and also structured so customers can sway the chair when they sit it in.

The description read: “Its soft cushions and gentle swaying motion provide optimal comfort whilst its stylish design adds a focal point to your outdoor space.

“Whether you’re reading a book or enjoying the scenic beauty, this chair offers a tranquil relaxation experience.”

If you are keen to shop the offer you can head to one of Home base’s 188 concessions within The Range stores across the UK.

You can also shop the product on www.homebase.co.uk.

The item is not available for click and collect.

The retailer went into administration last November, but was bought by CDS Superstores, which also owns The Range and Wilko.

As part of the sale, over 50 struggling stores closed.

But a number of sites were also converted into The Range stores and feature “Garden Centres by Homebase”.

You can find your nearest range which has this concession by visiting, /www.homebase.co.uk/en-uk/stores.

When shopping for garden furniture its also important to shop around to ensure you are getting the best value for your money.

B&M is selling a similar product for £150 and Asda has reduced the price of one of its egg chairs from £249 to £148.

MORE GARDEN DEALS

With summer upon us, many retailers are ramping up sales on garden furniture.

Aldi is offering up a double pack of solar Marrakesh crook lanterns for just £12.99.

The German retailer has a whole range of garden buys coming to stores this Sunday.

That includes a £3.99 solar light which can give your garden an instant refresh.

The bulb comes with a crocodile clip so it can be hung around the garden.

The bulbs come in two different shapes and have 20 firefly LED lights inside to add a whimsical touch.

A HIGH street retailer will issue a refund for any used tent it sells over the summer, in a boost for campers and festival goers.

Decathlon has pledged to offer a full gift card refund for the return of every tent it sells to encourage people not to abandon them.

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Customers must purchase a tent online or in store between June 9 and September 14 to qualify.

Shoppers need to return it with proof of purchase before September 14, to receive the full purchase value back in the form of a Decathlon gift card.

The retailer said this is regardless of how much they used the camping tool.

Customers must also be a Decathlon member at the time of purchase, which is free to sign up for.

The scheme started in 2023, but this year has been upgraded to include every Decathlon brand tent across both its Quechua and Simond ranges.

A Quechua four man tent can cost £199 at the retailer.

Tonnes of waste and tents are abandoned at festivals every year, which can put huge strain on the environment and those required to clean up the mess.

A typical single-use tent contains as much plastic as 9,000 straws or 200 bottles.

Decathlon UK sustainability leader Chris Allen said: “By making it easy and rewarding to bring tents back, we’re not only reducing waste across all camping activities, but also creating a vital supply chain for our Second Life programme, making quality outdoor gear accessible to even more people.

“This is about driving systemic change and changing camping culture for the better.”

Broadcaster Vick Hope, who is supporting this year’s campaign, added: “Whether you’re dancing at Glasto, on a hilltop, or roasting marshmallows with family, your tent deserves more than one weekend of glory.

“Decathlon’s pledge is brilliant because it simplifies doing the right thing.”

End-of-life tents from previous seasons have been repurposed and transformed into oversized flags bearing the message “I’m not leaving my tent behind, you shouldn’t either”.

BECOMMING A DECATHLON MEMBER

If you want to receive a voucher for returning a tent you will need to sign up for Decathlon’s membership scheme.

This is free to do and can be done online.

Customers earn points when they spend in store, which can be then used as money off vouchers.

Shoppers also get personalised offers which are tailored to their interests.

You can find out more by visiting, membership.decathlon.com/en-GB/.

Online store Buy Sheds Direct has cut the cost of a shed in its summer sale.

The storage solution has had its price slashed from £459.99 to £294.99 – that’s a saving of 35%.

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6′ x 4′ Forest 4Life Double Door Pent
Wooden Shed £294.99 (was £459.99)

With most of the summer stretching out ahead of us, it’s a great time to get the garden set up and ready for frequent use, and a shed can really come in handy.

The Forest 4Life Windowless Double Door Pent Wooden Shed is on sale at Buy Sheds Direct, an online retailer that specialises in garden storage.

It’s described on the listing as ‘tough and durable’, with a timber roof design that rainwater runs off, and it’s also pressure-treated to avoid the problem of wood rot.

Thanks to the treatment, there’s a 25-year guarantee, which is great for peace of mind when you’re making a larger purchase.

Even the site’s most affordable sheds have impressive discounts, and you can now snap one up for under £300, while they can be much more costly elsewhere.

The size of shed you’d need depends on your garden and also your storage needs – for a few items like gardening tools and a lawnmower, the 6ft x 4ft size is probably big enough, without taking over your space.

It comes with a free Yale combination padlock worth £15 too, so you can start using the shed immediately without worrying about security.

There is an end date for the sale though, so you’ll need to be quick if you want to get yourself a new shed before the discounts come to a close on Monday (June 9).

You will need to put the shed together yourself, because it’s delivered as interchangeable panels which means you can choose the placement of the doors to suit the layout of your garden.

The UK’s unpredictable weather can’t be avoided, and the shed’s timber roof design allows for rainwater to run off easily.

Owning a garden shed means you can tuck away your BBQ, parasol or any garden furniture at a moment’s notice, without having to lug anything into the house.

The brand also sells tiny homes like log cabins, garden offices, and playhouses, which are ideal if you’re thinking about making the most of your outdoor space without costly house extensions or rearrangements.

6′ x 4′ Forest 4Life Double Door Pent
Wooden Shed £294.99 (was £459.99)

Keen gardeners will also appreciate the space to store tools, lawnmowers and strimmers, without worrying about bringing dirt or mud inside.

If tackling the garden is the next task on your to-do list, you might want to have read of our list of the best chainsaws, as tested by The Sun’s Gardening Editor.

Amazon’s bestselling Flymo lawnmower is also on sale right now, if yours is due a replacement.

Or if you’re staying outside until late to really make the most of your outside space, we’ve tried out the best solar lights for the garden.

Alternatively, you could head to our garden and tools hub for more deals.

SKINCARE fans have been racing to pick up Boots’ new beauty box that has been branded as “incredible value”.

The £30 set includes £113 worth of products, with skincare favourites from Byoma, Beauty of Joseon and The Inkey List.

Boots Fresh Faced Skincare Set, £29.99 (worth £112.99)

Beauty boxes are a great way to try out new products or stock up on favourites, and the Boots Fresh Faced Skincare Set has everything needed for a routine refresh.

Six out of the nine products inside are full-size, including Lumene’s Glow Boost Essence, which is worth £34 (more than the entire beauty box) when purchased separately.

Beauty of Joseon is the Korean beauty brand that’s been all over social media lately, and shoppers will receive its popular Matte Sun Stick.

There are three cleansers inside the new beauty box, including The Inkey List’s popular Oat Cleanser and Cetaphil’s Gentle Skin Cleanser.

E.l.f’s Holy Hydration Cleansing Balm is also inside (worth £11), and the cleanser has racked up thousands of five-star ratings on the Boots website.

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The solid balm melts away make-up while hydrating the skin, with a formula made up of hyaluronic acid, ceramides and peptides.

Byoma’s Brightening Serum is another cult favourite including in the Boots beauty box, along with Pixi’s Vitamin C Serum (worth £26).

The products also come with a stylish checked print washbag that’s ideal for storing away beauty essentials.

The £30 set only has a few reviews currently, all of which are five-star.

One shopper wrote: “This set is excellent value for money if you want to try some new brands and level up your skincare routine, and the bag itself is very good quality, plus it would make an excellent gift.”

Another added: “The bag included is very good quality that will last years and I got lots of products for a great price.

I bought this for myself to try some new products but it would also make an excellent gift.”

Shoppers caused mass sell-outs on the Boots website earlier in the month after the retailer launched its Luxury Haircare Beauty Box.

Featuring £219 worth of products for £45, the haircare edit didn’t stay in stock for long.

Lookfantastic also released a new beauty box recently, and the Trending Beauty Box comes with nine viral favourites worth £110 for £40.

The Boots Fresh Faced Favourites Beauty Box is still in stock for now, but if it’s anything like the retailer’s other new releases, it’s going to sell fast.

Disruption from the ‘highly sophisticated and targeted cyber attack’, first reported around Easter weekend, continues.

British retailer Marks & Spencer estimates that a cyberattack that stopped it from processing online orders and left store shelves empty will cost it about 300 million pounds ($403m).

The company said in a business update (PDF) on Wednesday that disruption from the “highly sophisticated and targeted cyber attack,” which was first reported around the Easter weekend, is expected to continue until July.

Online sales of food, home and beauty products have been “heavily impacted” because the company, popularly known as M&S, had to pause online shopping.

The attack on one of the biggest names on the United Kingdom high street forced M&S to resort to pen and paper to move billions of pounds of fresh food, drinks and clothing after it switched off its automated stock systems.

That led to bare food shelves and frustrated customers, denting profits.

A month on, M&S’s large online clothing service remains offline, and the attack has wiped more than a billion pounds off its stock market value.

Chairman Archie Norman said the timing of the attack was unfortunate as M&S, which has been implementing a comprehensive turnaround plan since 2022, had been starting to show its full potential.

“But in business life, just as you think you’re onto a good streak, events have a way of putting you on your backside,” he said.

M&S, which has 65,000 staff and 565 stores, said the hack would cost about 300 million pounds ($403m) in lost operating profit in its year to March 2026, although it hopes to halve that impact through insurance, cost control and other actions.

Chief executive Stuart Machin said the company is focused on recovery and restoring its systems and operations.

“This incident is a bump in the road, and we will come out of this in better shape,” Machin said. He did not provide any details on the attack or who might be behind it.

Earlier this month, the company said customer personal data, which could have included names, emails, addresses and dates of birth, was taken by hackers in the attack.

Two other British retailers, luxury London department store Harrods and supermarket chain Co-op, have also been targeted by cyberattacks at around the same time.

A BELOVED clothing store that has been in business for nearly 50 years has launched a massive sale ahead of its closure.

Ginger, in Norwich, will shut for good on June 7 after the owners were forced to make an “incredibly difficult decision”.

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The shop was founded by David and Rodger Kingsley in 1978 following the success of their sister company Jonathan Trumbull in 1971.

Beckie Kingsley broke the sad news on social media that her family’s shop was soon to be no more.

The store manager blamed the current economic climate and the aftermath of Covid-19 for the business’s hardship.

She said: “It’s with truly heavy hearts that, after 46 unforgettable years, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to close the doors at our beautiful, beloved and historic Timber Hill home.

“We’ve weathered many storms over the decades, but there’s been ongoing challenges of today’s financial climate – coupled with the lasting impact and huge shifts within the retail landscape since Covid.

“This led us to ask – does it still work for us? After deep reflection, the answer, sadly, is no.

“We’ve had the privilege of watching generations grow, celebrating precious life milestones, sharing joys and deepest sorrows.

“Being part of people’s stories has been beyond a privilege – more than some may ever know.

“They’ve always been more than just customers – they’ve become wonderful friends.”

Ginger is one of the city’s oldest businesses and loyal customers rushed to share their praise.

“You will be missed! Sending hugs,” one wrote.

Another commented with a sad face emoji.

Dozens of shops are set to close across the country before the end of the month in the latest blow to UK high streets.

One of these include Smiggle, known for its colourful, quirky pens, lunchboxes and school bags, which revealed it is shutting up shop at the Darwin Centre in Shrewsbury.

Meanwhile, family business B.D Price, a beloved toy and bike store in Dudley, West Midlands, announced its closure after 160 years.

The 84-year-old owner blamed the cost of living crisis for a drop in sales and the costs of running the business skyrocketing.

Rising living costs leaving shoppers with less cash to spend and an increase in online shopping have battered retailers in recent years.

In some cases, landlords are either unwilling or unable to invest in keeping shops open, further speeding up the closures.

Smiggle isn’t the only stationary shop shutting its doors, more WHSmiths stores are set to close this month.

Sports Direct axed its Newmarket Road store in Cambridge on April 18 while Red Menswear in Chatham in Medway, Kent, shut for the final time on March 29 after selling men’s clothing since 1999.

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, will have to start raising prices later this month due to the high cost of tariffs, executives have warned in a clear signal that United States President Donald Trump’s trade war is filtering through to the US economy.

As a bellwether of US consumer health, Walmart’s explicit statement on Thursday is also a signpost for how the trade war is affecting companies as Walmart is noted for its ability to manage costs more aggressively than other companies to keep prices low.

Walmart’s shares fell 2.3 percent in morning trading after it also declined to provide a profit forecast for the second quarter, even as the company’s US comparable sales surpassed expectations in the first quarter.

Net sales rose 2.5 percent to $165.6bn, a hair shy of estimates, while same-store sales were up 4.5 percent. Walmart’s quarterly adjusted profit was 61 cents per share, ahead of the analyst consensus for 58 cents per share.

Many US companies have either slashed or pulled their full-year expectations in the wake of the trade war, as consumers stretch their budgets to buy everything from groceries to essentials at cheaper prices. But Walmart’s statement will resonate nationwide, as roughly 255 million people shop in its stores and online weekly around the world, and 90 percent of the US population lives within 10 miles of a Walmart.

US shoppers will start to see prices rise at the end of May and certainly in June, Walmart’s Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said in a CNBC interview. On a post-earnings call with analysts, he said the retailer would also have to cut back on orders as it considers price elasticity.

As the largest importer of container goods in the US, Walmart is heavily exposed to tariffs, and even though the US and China reached a truce that lowered levies for imports on Chinese goods to 30 percent, that’s still a high cost to bear, executives said.

“We’re very pleased and appreciative of the progress that has been made by the administration to bring tariffs down … but let me emphasise we still think that’s too high,” Rainey said on the call, referring to the tariff cuts negotiated over the weekend.

“There are certain items, certain categories of merchandise that we’re dependent upon to import from other countries and the prices of those things are likely going to go up, and that’s not good for consumers,” he added.

Other retailers also said they would be boosting prices. German sandal maker Birkenstock on Thursday said it plans to raise prices globally to fully offset the impact of the US tariff of 10 percent on European Union-made goods.

US consumer sentiment ebbed for a fourth straight month in April, signaling watchful purchasing, while the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted for the first time in three years during the first quarter, fanning worries of a recession.

Narrow margins

Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon said the retailer would not be able to absorb all the tariffs’ costs because of narrow retail margins, but was committed to ensuring that tariff-related costs on general merchandise – which primarily come from China – do not drive food prices higher.

To mitigate the impact, Walmart is working with suppliers to substitute tariff-affected components, such as replacing aluminium with fibreglass, which is not subject to tariffs.

Despite these efforts, McMillon noted that adjusting costs is more challenging in cases where Walmart imports food items like bananas, avocados, coffee, and roses from countries such as Costa Rica, Peru, and Colombia.

Analysts said Walmart was better positioned than rivals, as its scale enables it to lean on its suppliers and squeeze out efficiencies to shield customers from tariffs, but only so much.

“There will likely be some demand destruction from tariffs; a complete wreck is unlikely,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management.

Walmart on Thursday kept its annual sales and profit forecast intact for fiscal 2026, but withheld second-quarter operating income growth and earnings per share forecasts, citing a “fluid operating environment … [which] makes the very near term exceedingly difficult to forecast at the level and speed at which tariffs could go up”.