On TikTok, Chinese factories are trolling anxious American shoppers

is platforms and communities reporter with five years of experience covering the companies that shape technology and the people who use their tools. Hermès handbags, Birkenstocks, Tide Pods, Lululemon activewear, and mountains of luxury furniture — what if I told you you could cut out the middleman and buy it straight from the source for a fraction of the cost? So goes a genre of viral videos cropping up on social media that claim to show Chinese manufacturers producing the products beloved by American consumers. The videos have cheery background music, some light editing, and are delivered in English, clearly targeting American shoppers. In one clip on TikTok, a man holds up an array of shoes that look like Birkenstock’s Boston model. Instead of the $165 full price, @china.yiwu.factor’s version is only $10 a pair. The video garnered six million views before being deleted. “Chinese manufacturers outing luxury brands is my new favourite TikTok,” one comment reads. “Let’s start skippi ... Read full article.