Fake Products in Walmart: In the recent investigation by the international media house, Chicago’s Dimo’s Pizza, famous for feeding baseball fans near Wrigley Field, has never sold luxury beauty products. Yet, a third-party seller on Walmart.com used Dimo’s name to sell Lancome face cream at $25.99, a 91% discount on the $280 retail price. Lab tests confirmed the cream was counterfeit.

Dimitri Syrkin-Nikolau, the restaurant’s owner, said, “We spent 16 plus years building our reputation, and to know someone could just take our name and sell anything on Walmart’s website… it doesn’t feel good.” Dimo’s Pizza is just one of at least 43 businesses whose identities were stolen by third-party sellers on Walmart Marketplace.

Another example involved Thermo Fisher Scientific, a global biotech company. Its Walmart seller page offered beauty products at steep discounts instead of lab equipment. Lab testing confirmed many items were fake. Customers like Mary May from Tennessee also fell victim. She bought brain supplements at low prices, only to discover they were counterfeit and potentially hazardous.

Walmart Declines On-camera Interview:

During this investigation, the international media house contacted Walmart for an on-camera interview, but Walmart declined an on-camera interview and stated it has “zero tolerance” for prohibited or non-compliant products and that complaints are reviewed and acted upon. Former employees, however, said that over time, Walmart pressured staff to approve more sellers to compete with Amazon, which tightened its rules around the same time.

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Bob Barchiesi, president of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, warned that Walmart’s marketplace “looks more like a flea market than a trusted marketplace.” He emphasized that robust systems are necessary when platforms allow third-party sellers. Walmart eventually joined the IACC program and introduced enhanced vetting for beauty and personal care products, requiring documentation to verify authenticity.

Experts caution that in the absence of ongoing inspection, counterfeit goods may still hurt customers and undermine Walmart’s brand despite these precautions. Walmart and other platforms have fought against elements of the proposed Shop Safe Act, which would limit the selling of phony goods on online marketplaces, preferring to police themselves instead. This case emphasizes the necessity for stronger regulations as online marketplaces expand to safeguard customers and respectable companies and maintain confidence in online commerce.

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