Starbucks clarified claims that it authorized sales of its popular VIA instant coffee variant in China mainland supermarkets. The company said the reported "fake Starbucks" products did not come from the American coffee giant.
Starbucks China told Xinhua that the company only authorizes sales of its VIA coffee in select Tmall stores and outlets across the country. The U.S. coffee company also said it will move to file legal charges against sellers that use its name to sell counterfeited products.
The company's statements came amid reports that "fake" Starbucks VIA coffee has been making appearances in supermarkets in Nanjing and Beijing. The labels reportedly cited the distributor as "Guangzhou Baiyi Foods Trade Co., Ltd."
Aside from having the same name, the Starbucks VIA coffee circulating around Chinese supermarkets allegedly display the same design that the original packaging in authorized outlets has. This has led to concerns about other Starbucks products potentially becoming a target of counterfeiters.
To give consumers an upper-hand when purchasing Starbucks products, researchers said customers should look at the shelf life a product displays. Authentic Starbucks coffee only has eight months of shelf life while the fake ones claim to last for up to 18 months.
According to Asia Times, Wuxi police have since started investigating the fake products made in Guangzhou. Authorities estimated that Baiyi could have made over 10 million yuan in profits through the sales of counterfeited Starbucks VIA instant coffee.
Online shoppers have since expressed shock over the reports. Some said they are confused about the reported fake goods. On the other hand, others said they will be more vigilant and will check labels to ensure that they are purchasing authentic products from the fastest-growing coffee chain in China.
Aside from counterfeited coffee, Chinese police in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province cracked down on fake "cat paw cups" manufactured by four glassware companies in Jianhu county. Global Times reported that the authorities received a tip on the production of the popular Starbucks limited-edition mugs.
Police recovered 1,267 fake cups at the scene. Another 4,044 cat paw cups were still unlabeled while 3,177 packaging boxes were also retrieved. 53 fake labels and seven sets of molders were seized as Beijing continues to help Starbucks track down counterfeiting companies.
A prosecutor of the People's Procuratorate of Haidian district in Beijing warned against selling and producing goods that share similarities with a trademark brand. He said counterfeiting goods will result to legal risks and potential jail time.
