Traders in Mombasa have urged beauty lovers to go for original watches and jewellerey.
Speaking when the Casio opened its first store at Promenade Mall in Nyali, they said counterfeit sellers and their brokers have been misleading them from purchasing the original items.
Top Time Shop managing director Mohamed Arif urged people to buy items from authorised dealer shops and their outlets only.
“We sell items from Casio in Kenya. We assure customers of genuine products even as the counterfeit menace continues to hurt business in Kenya” he said.
“I am delighted to be the choice of Casio authorised dealers in Mombasa. We sell genuine Casio watches, including G-Shock brand, Edifice, Protrek and Sheen.”
Casio Middle East and Africa managing director Takashi Seimiya says they aim to tap the ever-growing watches and jewellery market in the country.
Seimiya says the shop has been opened at a time when Casio was celebrating 50 years of existence.
Another trader based in Mombasa, Abdul Noor, said the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Revenue Authority and other arms must support traders with genuine items from counterfeits.
“The genuine item sellers pay a lot of taxes unlike the counterfeits, who do not,” Noor said.
“At times they will hawk their fake items and low prices, leaving the genuine ones at the shelves. The government with its long arms needs to embark on protecting traders.”
The traders decried that a lot of people are worried when they want to buy beautiful gifts for themselves, loved ones and even people they want to gift in fear of buying fake items.