Manchester's counterfeit goods industry: Students expose the 'real cost of fakes' with unique exhibition

The counterfeit goods industry is a plague that has infected Manchester city's streets for decades.

From knock-off handbags, hoodies, shoes, perfumes and other accessories, no shortage of fake goods can be found in various back alleys and run-down shopfronts.

Thanks to ongoing police raids in areas such as Cheetham Hill and Bury New Road as part of Operation Vulcan, the Greater Manchester Police Force has highlighted that counterfeiting is far from a victimless crime. As well as being related to drug dealing, forced labour and exploitive immigration, National Trading Standards have estimated the UK's counterfeit industry to be worth approximately £8.6 billion per year.

The illegal trade also greatly overshadows Manchester's reputation as a creative powerhouse, which is home to the headquarters of major brands such as JD Sports, Boohoo and Missguided. Thanks to the help of talented local students, the city has been able to shine a spotlight on the 'real cost of fakes'.

Design students from Manchester College and UCEN partnered with the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to host an installation at the Arndale shopping centre between Friday, May 19 and Sunday, May 21. The event showcased the students' innovative work in a plea for shoppers to stop purchasing counterfeit, sold either in the city or online.

Final-year design students were accompanied on a stand at the Arndale shopping centre by representatives of Greater Manchester Police, Manchester City Council and the UK IPO. Using eye-catching displays and materials, they informed Mancunians that the illegal trade of fakes places legitimate traders' livelihoods in jeopardy.

The high-profile campaign spotlighted the real cost of buying a fake t-shirt or handbag, the