More than 27,000 drinkware products were stolen from a shipment destined for the UK, with more than 500 suspected listings subsequently removed from online marketplaces as Huski urges Christmas shoppers to check the provenance of branded goods
Drinkware brand Huski is warning consumers to be vigilant when buying products through online resale platforms after a highly organised cargo theft saw more than 27,000 items, valued at almost £1m, stolen from a shipment in the UK.
The stolen stock is believed to be appearing across eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Whatnot and Vinted, prompting concerns that shoppers could unknowingly purchase goods from the missing shipment during the Christmas shopping season.
Huski has identified more than 540 listings from over 120 sellers and has so far succeeded in having more than 500 removed. The missing products include thousands of insulated wine tumblers, champagne flutes, wine coolers, beer coolers and champagne coolers.
The company has stressed that there is no suggestion that all sellers offering the products were involved in the original theft. Some may be several steps removed from those responsible and could have purchased the stock without knowing its origins.
The container carrying Huski’s UK shipment was stolen from a Southampton haulage yard shortly after being collected from Southampton Port. CCTV reportedly captured a tractor unit entering the industrial estate and leaving with the container approximately six minutes later.
Police identified the registration of the tractor unit, which was itself believed to have been stolen. However, attempts to trace it using automatic number plate recognition were unsuccessful after its number plates were reportedly changed several times, up to 10 times in total.
The empty container was discovered approximately 230 miles away in Doncaster the following morning, with its contents missing.
Huski co-founder Simon Huesser said the appearance of suspected stolen stock across multiple resale platforms had created a significant challenge for the business.
While the theft itself was highly unusual, the company is particularly concerned about how thousands of products have subsequently been distributed through a large number of different sellers.
Police have visited some sellers, with two reportedly telling officers they had purchased the products at a car boot sale. The investigation has been referred to CID, while officers in West Yorkshire are also investigating similar offences that may be connected. The stolen stock has not been recovered and those responsible have yet to be identified.
Huski is encouraging consumers purchasing branded drinkware through resale marketplaces to check that sellers can provide a credible explanation of where their products originated.
The incident comes as the brand experiences significant growth in the UK market. Huski sold more than 235,000 products in Britain last year, with UK sales increasing by 209% from FY2025 to FY2026. The UK accounted for approximately 30% of the company’s global revenue in 2025.
The company is also expanding its presence in the British bricks-and-mortar retail market, working with premium homeware and gift retailers. It will exhibit at Top Drawer in London in January 2027, marking its first UK trade show.
Huski expects Britain to overtake the US, Australia and New Zealand to become its largest market during 2027.
The police investigation remains ongoing.
