Report: Men Twice as Likely as Women to Buy Counterfeits

Recent studies by the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) revealed a striking trend. Men are twice as many male as female participants purchase counterfeit goods, particularly when these items are endorsed by social media influencers.

Overall, 35% reported that they had knowingly purchased counterfeits. This is double the percentage of females (17%) in the previous survey (Shepherd et al., 2021). 60% of the male knowing buyers are in the 16-33 age group. These younger males are twice as likely (53%) to knowingly make illicit purchases than those aged over 34 (23%).

The research suggests that male consumers are over twice as likely to be influenced by social media endorsements compared to their female counterparts. Specifically, 24% of UK males aged between 16 to 60 have been swayed by influencer-endorsed counterfeits.

The allure…