retailer

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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