If you’re shopping Polo Ralph Lauren products in Bali, you might be wondering if you’re purchasing genuine or fake items. A bad experience can quickly ruin your time in Indonesia, and you don’t want to be wasting your money on items that turn out to be cheap imitations.
Bali has quite a few Polo Ralph Lauren shops, and as a tourist, you might be surprised to find that the prices are much lower than you would expect. This brings up the question if these authentic-looking stores are actually trustworthy and how to figure out which places sell real Ralph Lauren merchandise.
Spoiler alert: You most likely won’t find any.
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Why you can trust this article
You’ll find a few different articles and plenty of reviews of Ralph Lauren shops in Bali online. However, most are outdated and were published more than ten years ago. A lot has changed in Bali since then, and we wanted to provide up-to-date info to travellers who are still wondering if Ralph Lauren in Bali is authentic.
I’m Victoria, a travel blogger from Germany, and I’ve been living in Bali for several years now. Before that, I used to come to the Island of the Gods all the time as a tourist, and shopping was always high on my list of things to do. I drive past a Ralph Lauren store on my way to work every single day, and I was always confused why there would be one in such a random location.
A few months of research and some test purchases later, I put together this post to help you make good shopping decisions on your next trip to Bali.
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Polo Ralph Lauren stores in Bali, Indonesia
Bali has more than a dozen Polo Ralph Lauren shops, most of which are located in the southern parts of the island close to Nusa Dua, Seminyak, Kuta, and Uluwatu. Ubud also has quite a few, and there is even one in Tanah Lot.
The stores tend to appear quickly and shut down again after a while, so locations change frequently. They are in shopping malls or in popular tourist areas and look very authentic from the outside. Some look more believable than others.
The exterior looks just like Ralph Lauren shops usually look, and the architecture is even in the signature colonial style. With the official brand name and logo displayed everywhere, it’s easy to assume that these shops are authentic. However, once you start paying attention to the small details, you’ll notice that there are big differences.
Tourist traps in Bali
These shops are often part of tourist scams where local drivers or tour operators will take big groups to specific locations to shop. This applies especially to organised group tours with inexperienced travellers who may not expect the items to be fake. The drivers receive a commission from the store, which is why they will encourage their group to buy clothes there.
Are the Ralph Lauren stores in Bali, Indonesia, genuine or fake?
We can confirm that all Ralph Lauren shops you find in Bali and all of Indonesia are fake. They may look official, but you’ll soon notice that things aren’t quite right if you go into a store. The prices are much lower than what they’re supposed to be, and the branding is slightly off. You’ll notice outdated marketing materials, wrong fonts and clothes that are not commonly sold by Ralph Lauren anymore. Many items are packaged in plastic, which you wouldn’t see in an official store, and price signs are often homemade or non-existent.
The closer you look, the more apparent it becomes that these shops are selling counterfeit clothing.
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Polo Ralph Lauren lawsuits
Ralph Lauren has faced lawsuits in the past, trying to get imitation brands in the Asian market to stop using their name. China is a popular example, and Indonesia had a similar case. However, they were unable to prevent local “Polo” brands to stop operating, which is why you will find these shops all over Asia.
They describe themselves as simply producing similar clothing to that of the American brand but at a lower quality and, therefore, also a lower price. This isn’t necessarily the problem, though, and issues begin to arise when customers are unaware that they are purchasing fakes.
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Are the outlet stores fake?
Yes, just like the shops, the big Ralph Lauren Outlet close to Sanur is not genuine and only sells fake products. This place is known for scams and even more expensive prices.
Are the Polo stores in the Bali airport real or fake?
There are even Polo Ralph Lauren shops in Bali’s international airport. They’re among the most authentic-looking and also some of the most expensive. However, just like any Ralph Lauren store in Indonesia they do not sell authentic merchandise.
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Polo Ralph Lauren Asia’s official response
To be 100% sure about the situation and confirm that it is not possible to purchase authentic Ralph Lauren products in-store in Bali and Indonesia, we reached out to the company’s customer service. Here is their response.
Should you buy Ralph Lauren products in Bali?
If you are aware that Polo Ralph Lauren products purchased in Bali are fakes, you can, of course, still go shopping at these stores. However, keep in mind that the quality most likely won’t be very good and, of course, not comparable to the real deal.
Personally, I would not recommend buying fake Ralph Lauren in Bali. In my experience, the clothes are not worth it, and prices are still too high considering the quality. If you’re looking for fakes in Bali, try shopping at more local stores or smaller tourist stalls, which will be cheaper.
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Reviews of Ralph Lauren shops in Bali
I can only tell you about my personal opinion and experiences with fake Polo Ralph Lauren in Bali. Here are some reviews written by other tourists to give you more insight.
“Bought a product from here. It was bad quality. Had marks all over. The wallet leather that they packed was torn. Polo Ralph Lauren Europe refuses to do anything. DON’T BUY from Bali.“
“All fake. There is no official Polo Ralph Lauren store in Bali. Spend your money wisely, given, it’s all fake, it’s very overpriced.“
“You will never get the real Ralph Lauren in Indonesia. That’s because the real Ralph Lauren sued the fake Polo in Indonesia, and the real one lost, so the one that claimed to be real “Polo Ralph Lauren” is not really real.”
“This place seems to have some connections with local driver guides. They bring you here without saying a thing, and you will lose your time to travel somewhere else.“
“Selling non-original items. Return of goods is not possible. They use a big name. Real scammers.“
“Fake, just look at the pictures on the wall. As if they printed a photo from the internet and rescanned it. Pathetic.“
“Selling not original. Real scammers. It is indistinguishable from a fake. At the request to show the certificate, or at least some documents of compliance, they began to shout and drive out of the store. Real scammers! Don’t buy anything there.“
Note that there are also plenty of good reviews, but the negative seems to outweigh the positive.
Ralph Lauren Indonesia fake online store
There’s more. When you look up “Ralph Lauren Indonesia” on Google, you’ll find a website that looks authentic at first glance but, when inspected further, turns out to be yet another fake. Do not shop here. Even if you do receive the products, they will be overpriced and low quality.
How much are Ralph Lauren items in Bali?
Fake Ralph Lauren clothing in Bali is cheaper than the original, which is why so many tourists shop here. However, the prices will not be the cheapest. Expect to pay around $30 US for a t-shirt, for example. Generally, you’ll find fakes in Bali for anywhere between $3 and $10 US.
Where to shop authentic Ralph Lauren merchandise in Bali, Indonesia
As confirmed by Ralph Lauren, the only place to shop authentic Polo merchandise is from their digital partner Zalora. However, the selection is very limited, and you might be better off shopping in a store outside of Indonesia.
Real vs fake Polo
Here are some tips to help you distinguish between real vs fake Polo Ralph Lauren merchandise if you want to do an authenticity check.
- Have a close look at the pony embroidery. Real items will have nearly flawless details, while fakes will be done poorly.
- Examine the tags, especially the laundry tags which should be high-quality and detailed.
- Check the buttons. Authentic Polo uses high-quality, well-sown buttons with no extra threads. They’re only very rarely printed on.
- Sizing should be accurate and not too small or too big.
- Authentic Polo Ralph Lauren uses thick fabric, and seams should be clean and well-constructed.
- Retail tags should look authentic, and items are generally not packaged in plastic. Newer Ralph Lauren merchandise has a QR code which takes you to the website.
Fake Ralph Lauren tag and plastic buttons with badly-sewn threads on items bought in Bali
Fake Ralph Lauren Bali FAQ
No, all Ralph Lauren stores in Bali are fake, there are no official ones.
There are a lot of counterfeit Ralph Lauren items on the market in Indonesia, even if the shops look authentic. This is why the products are so cheap.
Polo Ralph Lauren is a more affordable and sporty sub-brand of Ralph Lauren.
The Ralph Lauren shops in Bali are used as tourist traps by drivers who get commissions from the owners. They are all fake.
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Before you go…
Shopping Ralph Lauren items in Bali isn’t recommended, but we can still help you make the most of your trip! Check out these incredible beachfront hotels in Uluwatu, this 3-day Nusa Penida itinerary, the most beautiful villa retreat in West Bali, our guide to swimming with turtles in Gili Trawangan, and our 1-week in Bali budget guide.
You’ll also love these helpful articles on the dress code at immigration, how to rent a car in Bali, advice on drinking tap water, and beer prices in Bali.
Did I miss anything?
If you have any questions or feel like something is missing from this post, please leave a comment below or contact me.
7 thoughts on “Are The Polo Ralph Lauren Stores In Bali, Indonesia Real Or Fake?”
I was thinking to visit tomorrow a big shop of Polo Ralph Lauren, I said let’s see what I will find in google. And I read this valuable article..
What a great job 👏👏👏
Thank you Victoria
Glad it helped – thank you for your support! Hope you enjoy your trip to Bali:)
My 2nd trip to Bali. First one was 14 years ago!
Thinking to visit the Ralph Lauren store since there are some many we drove past to get to our hotel.
The had options of “little and big ponies”
T shirts were about $60 AUD, polos about $65AUD. Just didn’t feel right and didn’t buy and now I read this article a few hours later.
I think you must read the trademark act in Indonesia.
It’s legal as long as there is registration of trademark in Indonesia.
We’re not saying the shops are illegal, the merchandise is just not authentically Polo Ralph Lauren:)
Hola, quisiera saber si el autentico Polo Ralph Lauren tiene fabrica de producción en Indonesia, por que veo muchos productos de la marca que tienen una calidad demasiado buena que en la etiqueta del cuello dice Made In Indonesia ó Made in Indonesia y tienen todos los requisitos para ser original, incluso los mas acutales que vienen con codigo QR, ya despeje la duda que las tiendas si son falsas todas de ese país pero ahora mi duda es saber si la empresa fabrica y produce en Indonesia, son casos diferentes. Ya que quiero comprar productos y necesito despejarme esa duda.
Hi! Unfortunately, I cannot confirm 100% if items are authentic. I think the best indicator is where you buy them from. Use the official Polo Ralph Lauren website and check the store locator to find your shop which will guarantee you’re buying a real product.
Just because there are no official Polo stores in Indonesia does not mean that they do not have a factory, so we can’t say at items labled “Made in Indonesia” are always inauthentic.