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 skipping these retail stores and buy right from the source,” says another user. The videos are perfectly crafted to elicit maximum emotions from American viewers overwhelmed by tariff anxiety and political upheaval. My fyp is suddenly filled with Chinese manufacturers trying to sell directly to Americans. The gag is that even with pay hellip; Read the full story at The Verge. ...read more read less