'Urgent' warning over new Aussie discount store after 'nightmare' opening: Stop using immediately'

Yahoo

06-03-2025

Australian shoppers looking to pick up a bargain at the newly-opened Panda Mart in Melbourne have been urged to stay away. Hundreds of people lined up for hours to get a look inside the massive Cranbourne warehouse, with some saying it's like stepping into a real-life Temu store.
It was so busy on opening day last weekend that the police were called to handle the crowds. But Consumer Affairs Victoria has issued an "urgent" warning about some of the products available for purchase.
"Our inspectors have last night and today seized thousands of products we believe fail to meet mandatory product safety and information standards, including items that could be dangerous," it said.
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The regulatory body said some of the products present an injury hazard, like a projectile, or present a choking or strangulation hazard, or fail to meet other safety standards, like cosmetics.
One of the bigger concerns was around some of the toys and baby rattles that had button batteries that were inadequately secured or labelled.
Consumer Affairs said that if you had bought any items from Panda Mart, you needed to "stop using them immediately and return them to the store for a refund"."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," Consumer Affairs Victoria Director Nicole Rich said.
"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."
Panda Mart has been billed as one of the biggest $2 stores you'll ever find in Australia.
It has dozens of aisles stocked with every type of product you could imagine, from clothing to homewares, toys to electronics.
There are more than 50,000 products on offer.
The hype was so intense on the weekend opening that people started pushing and shoving each other.
Staff had to shut the doors at one point to manage the antsy crowd in what was described as a "nightmare" and a "stampede".
'We apologise for the recent crowding in our store, which may have impacted your shopping experience,' Panda Mart said.
'To improve safety and comfort, we're actively managing customer flow by increasing staff, implementing crowd control, and streamlining checkout.'
Panda Mart started in South Africa and has since expanded to the US, South America and New Zealand.
It has plans to open a second Melbourne store in Preston.