While TikTok users have been obsessing over the much-anticipated arrival of Pandamart in Melbourne last week, the discount store has already landed in hot water with a safety warning issued by Consumer Affairs Victoria.
The store, which offers a wide range of products from homewares to sports gear and beauty items, attracted massive crowds as it opened last Thursday. Think IRL Temu or Shein.
“We didn’t expect we would be this busy. We didn’t prepare to get this crowded and this [many] customers,” said store owner John Chen, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
“We started managing by putting more security and put more staff on the floor, but it’s still too much.”
In fact, Victoria Police were called to the store to help manage crowds on Saturday afternoon.
However, the excitement was short-lived, with consumer inspectors soon seizing thousands of products that allegedly fail to meet mandatory safety standards.
Nicole Rich, director of Consumer Affairs Victoria, didn’t hold back in her assessment of the situation. “We know many Victorians are looking for bargains when they’re shopping given the cost of living, but they shouldn’t have to worry about picking up dangerous products at the same time, especially ones for babies and kids,” she stated in a public warning.
Among the concerning items were toys and baby rattles containing button batteries that were “inadequately secured or labelled, which can hurt or kill children”. But that’s not all – other products were flagged for potential choking or strangulation hazards, while some cosmetics failed to meet safety standards.
Products mentioned in the statement include:
- Bike helmets
- Archery sets
- Luggage straps
- Toy guns
- Children’s make up sets
- Birthday cards
- Glitter balls
- Calculators
- Flashing toys
- Baby rattles
“I have decided to issue this Public Warning to minimise further risk to consumers and because I am satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so,” Rich’s statement read.
Rich emphasised that businesses have a responsibility to ensure their products meet safety standards and don’t pose a danger to consumers. She added, “We’ve responded quickly to take action and remove these products from the shelves – but it’s up to businesses to understand the law, and not stock them in the first place”.
For those who’ve already made purchases at Pandamart, the advice is clear: stop using the items immediately and return them to the store. Rich’s statement says that anyone who has already purchased items listed in the warning can return them to Panda Mart for a full refund.
Pandamart, which originated in South Africa over a decade ago and has since expanded to South America, the US, and New Zealand, made its Australian debut with a catalogue boasting over 28,000 homeware products. However, this rocky start might just have shoppers thinking twice before their next visit.
Lead image: NINE / Instagram
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