Journal of Trading Standards, Online Edition - JoTS Online

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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£40,000 of illicit vapes to be destroyed

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.

Outsourcing accountability

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.

All change on the high street

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.

LBBD takes on underage sales

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.

Darlington TS seizes illegal 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.

South West TS takes on illegal vapes

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.

CTSI alerts Black Friday shoppers

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.

Test purchases at London businesses

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.

Highland TS tackles illicit vapes

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.

Why fair pricing matters

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.

Weighing up the options

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.

'Clarification needed' on imperial

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.

Consumer protection is not a luxury

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.

Jeweller guilty of hallmarking offences

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.

Price-gouging shopkeeper fined

Posted: 07 July 2021

UPDATES: A recent case in which Birmingham Trading Standards successf...

Evidence gathering for a 'copycat' action

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.

TSS combats illegal puppy trade

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.