Welcome to the Journal of Trading Standards online edition, JoTS Online. Browse through our latest Articles - including Analysis, Opinion Pieces, Features and a selection of articles from our acclaimed print journal.
Although many JoTS Online articles are open access (public), others are exclusive to CTSI Members - in which case, you'll need to login to access them. If you aren't a member of CTSI yet, you can join us here. And, if you'd like to contribute articles or suggest topics for us to cover, please email our Editorial Team.
Latest JoTS Online Articles :
News Category Tags: Crime, Product Safety, Health and Safety, Counterfeit Goods, Retail, Animal Health and Welfare, Legal and Policy, Enforcement Practice, Product Recalls, Property and Housing, Automotive, Vapes, Business, CTSI Conference, CTSI Hero Awards.
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Posted: 03 March 2023
UPDATES: Around £40,000 worth of non-compliant disposable vapes seized from a City retailer will be destroyed after officers found products that breached UK legal limits on nicotine-containing devices.
Posted: 20 January 2023
OPINION: Empty high streets and outsourced services raise difficult questions about who is responsible for protecting consumers when local accountability steadily disappears.
Posted: 17 January 2023
ANALYSIS: Thousands of shop closures reflect deeper shifts in consumer behaviour, retail economics and the legacy of the pandemic, forcing town centres to rethink their future.
Posted: 16 January 2023
ANALYSIS: Barking and Dagenham Trading Standards explains its work tackling underage sales, using test purchasing and enforcement to reduce young people's access to knives, tobacco, alcohol and vapes.
Posted: 20 December 2022
UPDATES: Two shop owners have been fined following an investigation into the sale of illegal vapes, demonstrating the continuing crackdown on non-compliant vaping products.
Posted: 02 December 2022
UPDATES: A South West enforcement operation targeting underage knife sales also led officers to hundreds of illegal disposable vapes, demonstrating how intelligence-led inspections continue to expose wider consumer protection offences.
Posted: 22 November 2022
UPDATES: As Black Friday shopping intensifies, CTSI is reminding consumers how to spot misleading offers, avoid scams and make safer purchasing decisions during one of the busiest retail periods of the year.
Posted: 13 September 2022
UPDATES: Newham Trading Standards test purchases found five businesses selling alcohol or vaping products to underage volunteers, prompting investigations and reinforcing the need for retailers to uphold age-restriction rules.
Posted: 11 September 2022
UPDATES: Highland Trading Standards has seized more than 3,000 illegal vapes and warned retailers to use reputable suppliers, as officers respond to unsafe products, missing warnings and underage sales concerns.
Posted: 06 June 2022
OPINION: A chance purchase in central London becomes a reminder that fair pricing is about far more than value for money. From behavioural influences to consumer vulnerability, this argues that transparent, honest pricing remains fundamental to consumer protection.
Posted: 31 May 2022
ANALYSIS: As ministers revisit the use of imperial measurements, this examines the practical, economic and regulatory implications of reintroducing imperial markings, asking whether the proposal would benefit consumers or simply create unnecessary complexity.
Posted: 30 May 2022
UPDATES: CTSI has renewed calls for greater clarity and a full impact assessment as proposals to expand the use of imperial measurements continue, warning that uncertainty could create unnecessary costs and confusion for businesses, enforcers and consumers.
Posted: 09 May 2022
SPONSORED: Consumer protection applies as much to diamonds as to everyday essentials. This piece argues that product confidence, accurate descriptions and effective enforcement remain vital even in markets often seen as luxury purchases.
Posted: 03 December 2021
UPDATES: An investigation by Ealing Council Trading Standards resulted in a jeweller being prosecuted for hallmarking offences, underlining the importance of compliance and the protection that hallmarking provides for consumers.
Posted: 07 July 2021
UPDATES: A recent case in which Birmingham Trading Standards successf...
Posted: 03 March 2021
ANALYSIS: Misleading 'copycat' packaging can distort consumer choice even without counterfeiting. Examining the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, this article explores how trading standards can gather evidence to demonstrate mistaken purchases, mistaken attribution and breaches of consumer law.
Posted: 17 February 2021
UPDATES: Trading Standards Scotland has joined the Scottish SPCA and partner organisations to tackle the rise in illegal puppy breeding, combining consumer advice, an assured breeder scheme and new technology to help buyers avoid low-welfare sellers fuelled by pandemic demand.
Posted: 21 January 2021
ANALYSIS: Copycat marketing sits at the intersection of branding, consumer perception and the law. This feature examines how imitation products mislead consumers and the legal principles used to tackle them.
Posted: 07 January 2021
ANALYSIS: Lookalike packaging continues to test the boundaries between competition and consumer confusion. This analysis explores how copycat brands influence purchasing decisions and the legal and regulatory issues they raise.
Posted: 26 November 2020
UPDATES: Soaring demand for puppies during lockdown has fuelled scams and irresponsible breeding. Find out the warning signs and the checks buyers should make before handing over money.
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