– This must probably be one of the most popular Halloween costumes for men this year, says general manager of Festmagasinet Standard Jan Kingell. He holds out a costume pack with a picture of an orange prison uniform on the outside. – It’s actually a rather boring costume. It’s much funnier when people put on something more, put on make-up and actually make something out of the costume, smiles Kingell. This prisoner costume has been the most popular Halloween costume among men in recent years at Festmagasinet Standard. Photo: Katrine Engebretsen Rønning / news There is good traffic in the Standard costume shop in central Oslo on Tuesday afternoon. With the scariest day of the year just around the corner, young and old alike have started the hunt for the perfect Halloween costume. But with the increase in online shopping that has been seen in recent years, Kingell is honest that they too have noticed a decline in in-store shopping. – We see that there is only more and more online shopping. More players have entered the market, and online shopping takes up a larger share than shopping in stores, says Kingell. Managing director of Festmagasinet Standard Jan Kingell. Photo: Katrine Engebretsen Rønning / news Warns against the products The Consumer Council is worried about the development. They warn against online stores like Temu. Especially in the run-up to Halloween this year, you can see that there are many who have allowed themselves to be tempted by the large selection and the kind prices. – These online shops sell an incredible number of products that are actually illegal to sell on the Norwegian market. The products are illegal both because they are unsafe for us and because they contain chemical substances and other things that can cause harm in the first place, says director of the Consumer Council Inger Lise Blyverket to news. She says that the products sold in Norway have been through an inspection and are therefore considered safe. – We have strict regulations in both Norway and Europe. The products we sell in Norway are safe and do not contain substances that could be dangerous. Director of the Consumer Council Inger Lise Blyverket Photo: Katrine Engebretsen Rønning / news Prioritizing product quality news has been in contact with Temu and asked what they think about the Norwegian Consumer Council warning against buying products from their online store. Communications advisor in Temu’s Nordic PR agency Michael Falk writes in an e-mail to news that both product quality and consumer safety are a high priority for them. – All dealers on our platform must meet strict security standards. Our quality control measures include requiring proper documentation, performing spot checks, proactive monitoring of the platform and acting quickly on reports of suspected non-compliant products, writes Falk. The low prices are a big reason why Temu has become so popular in the last year. Falk writes that when they started in 2023, they saw an opportunity to help consumers find affordable products by connecting them directly to manufacturers. – Our business model involves factory sales which enable consumers to shop at factory prices without additional costs to intermediaries and their mark-ups. This allows us to offer a wide range of products at reasonable prices without compromising on quality. Since launching in 2023, we have seen strong consumer support for our affordable quality. Here you can read the full answer from Temu: Temu runs an online marketplace that connects consumers with independent sellers. Product quality and consumer safety are top priorities for us. All merchants on our platform must meet strict security standards. Our quality control measures include requiring proper documentation, performing spot checks, proactive monitoring of the platform and acting quickly on reports of suspected non-compliant products. In order to maintain a reliable marketplace, we continuously work to strengthen our compliance with the regulations. We actively communicate with consumers, consumer organizations and regulators to resolve issues, initiate product removal or facilitate recalls where necessary. We respond quickly to feedback and take immediate action to resolve any issues to ensure consumers can shop with confidence. Temu started operations in Norway in August 2023, first seeing an opportunity to help consumers looking for affordable products by connecting them directly to manufacturers. Our business model involves factory sales which enable consumers to shop at factory prices without the extra costs of middlemen and their mark-ups. This allows us to offer a wide range of products at reasonable prices without compromising on quality. Since launch, we have seen strong consumer support for our affordable quality. Our model not only makes the supply chain more efficient, but also more responsive to consumer demands, enabling better product development. Temu’s economies of scale also allow us to secure favorable shipping and delivery conditions, which leads to more savings for customers. Temu has started inviting sellers in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands to join the platform. Many sellers have expressed interest. With more local sellers, we expect the platform to offer an even wider selection of affordable, quality products to meet the diverse needs of our customers. – We can’t compete on price Back in the costume shop Standard, Kingell is well on his way towards the women’s department. – This year it is actually these nun costumes that are most popular among women. He points towards a rack with two different nun costumes – a long and a short version. The nun costume is among the most popular Halloween costumes for women this year, says Jan Kingell, the daily manager at Festmagasinet Standard. Photo: Katrine Engebretsen Rønning / news Several of the products that Kingell displays in the store can also be bought at the online stores that the Consumer Council warns against, only for a much cheaper price. – Our suppliers are unable to produce products at such low prices as, for example, Temu. We must therefore stick to the prices we have and bet that the customer will want what we sell. We cannot compete on price, says Kingell. Among other things, the Consumer Council has warned against cheap make-up products being dangerous. At Festmagasinet Standard, general manager Kingell guarantees that the products they sell are non-toxic. – We use well-known make-up suppliers who comply with the EU’s rules. Should there be any problems, they have full documentation of what all the products contain, says Kingell. Among other things, the Consumer Council has warned against cheap make-up products being dangerous. Kingell says that the make-up products sold at Festmagasinet Standard are one hundred percent non-toxic. Photo: Katrine Engebretsen Rønning / news Bought second-hand With Halloween also comes a party, and art student at OsloMet Denas Rakauskas (23) is among those who will dress up and celebrate the scariest day of the year. – There will be up to a hundred students from the art and design studies here at OsloMet who will celebrate Halloween together, smiles Rakauskas, sitting in the canteen at OsloMet. He has this year’s Halloween costume ready, and says that he bought it at a local second-hand shop in Eidsvoll. Danas Rakauskas with fellow student Olivia Mette Hammit. Photo: Katrine Engebretsen Rønning Rakauskas understands that others choose to shop at stores like Temu, but he himself would never shop there. – We actually just had a lecture at the university about HSE and all the dangerous substances found in plastics and other materials. Considering that the products at Temu are sold very cheaply, I would think that they too may contain dangerous substances, says Rakauskas. In the canteen at Oslomet, Rakauskas shows off Halloween decorations worth NOK 2,000 that he has just bought from Festmagsinet Standard. Photo: Katrine Engebretsen Rønning / news news has spoken to several students at OsloMet, where all of the students had picked up on the criticism that has been hurled at the cheap online stores recently. The Consumer Council’s Lead Agency is pleased to hear that today’s young people are well informed when it comes to the problems surrounding these online shops, and emphasizes the importance of informing Norwegian consumers about the products sold in online shops outside Europe. – We at the Consumer Council will continue to inform and guide Norwegian consumers so that they know the risks of shopping at these online stores, says Blyverket. Published 30.10.2024, at 18.15
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The Consumer Council warns against the discount store Temu – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
