Fashion Platforms Betting on Beauty Face Ongoing Counterfeit Controversies and a Test of Trust

Limitations of Parallel Import Structure...

Counterfeit Beauty Product Controversies Shake Platform Credibility

Concerns Over Counterfeits Spread to Perfumes and Cosmetics

Consumers Face Greater Burden to Verify Authenticity

#Recently, a consumer who purchased a luxury perfume from a well-known domestic fashion platform filed a complaint, claiming, "I suspect it is a counterfeit." Buyer A stated, "Compared to products purchased at duty-free shops or official brand retailers, the font is different, and the scent dissipates quickly, which made me suspect it was counterfeit." A added, "I was aware it was a parallel import, but I bought it because it was advertised as genuine." Luxury perfumes, such as Jo Malone and Maison Margiela, are being sold on fashion platforms at prices about 30–40% lower than the official retail price.

A consumer complaint was posted on the online community DC Inside, alleging that a luxury perfume purchased through a fashion platform is suspected to be counterfeit. The photo is attached to the post on DC Inside.

As domestic fashion platforms are fostering 'beauty' as a new growth engine, controversies over counterfeit products continue to emerge. In particular, for products such as perfumes and skincare that come into direct contact with the skin, consumer anxiety is growing due to heightened safety concerns.

According to the industry on May 14, fashion platforms have been strategically expanding their beauty categories in order to increase transaction volume and user engagement as part of their efforts to enhance profitability. Initially, Musinsa operated by allowing beauty brands to be listed on its main platform, but in November 2021, it launched a dedicated beauty section to strategically expand in the beauty category. Ably opened its beauty category in March 2021, and in April this year, it launched its own private brand called 'Bybly,' further growing its beauty lineup. Zigzag opened a separate beauty section in April 2022, about a year later than Ably.

The issue is that as counterfeit controversies centered on luxury perfumes persist, the responsibility for verification and management of the parallel import–centric distribution structure is effectively being shifted onto consumers. Parallel imports refer to a method where a third party, not the official importer or licensed agent of the brand, purchases products in bulk overseas and sells them domestically. While parallel import products are attractive to consumers due to competitive pricing achieved through bulk overseas purchases, the distribution channels are complex and opaque, making it difficult to verify authenticity.

Parallel import sellers present 'import declaration certificates' or 'identity inspection certificates' as proof of authenticity, but these documents do not guarantee that the products are genuine. The import declaration certificate only proves that the product went through official customs clearance procedures. The identity inspection certificate is a process to confirm whether the product matches a genuine sample, but in practice, the same documentation may be used for other goods or counterfeits may be mixed in, so the possibility cannot be completely ruled out. As a result, consumers are relying on subjective elements such as scent longevity and the condition of the packaging design to determine authenticity.

In fact, according to data submitted by the office of Oh Sehee, a member of the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee from the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency, the number of counterfeit detections from 2021 to August 2025 was highest on Bungaejangter, with 54,547 cases. This was followed by Naver Smart Store with 12,886 cases. Among fashion platforms, Ably had 271 cases, Zigzag had 65, and Musinsa had 3 counterfeit cases detected, respectively.

Fashion platforms are making efforts to strengthen quality control through enhanced monitoring and immediate removal of sellers when counterfeits are confirmed, but industry experts note that complete prevention is impossible due to the nature of open marketplaces. An Ably representative stated, "It is difficult to monitor every seller individually," adding, "We operate with internal guidelines such as immediate removal when a counterfeit is identified." A Zigzag representative also said, "We operate a model in which we directly purchase inventory from parallel importers, and we make efforts to verify authenticity in this process."

There are concerns that repeated controversies over counterfeits could damage the overall trust in the platform. A distribution industry insider pointed out, "In the case of parallel imports, there are instances where products are manufactured overseas and only the packaging is changed domestically before distribution, so special caution is needed," adding, "If cases of counterfeit purchases through platforms accumulate, it could lead to a decline in trust in the entire platform."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.