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Chapel Hill, North Carolina-The North Carolina Public Interest Research Group reminds parents to watch out for dangerous toys this holiday season.

With the impact of global supply chains on the availability of products in local stores, many people are turning to online shopping, where counterfeit toys are a problem.  

Irene Kesselman is the owner of Ali Cat Toys in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. Kesselman began placing orders in early summer to avoid shipping problems as much as possible.

"We started to receive notices from the company's CEO about price increases. If we didn't order by a certain date, we might not be able to receive it," Kesselman said.

Kesselman is located in the Carr Mill Shopping Center, which is filled with toys, puzzles and books from babies and toddlers to teenagers.

"This is when we started putting items behind and behind items, because there are new boxes and new items every day, and we are very full now," Kesselman said.

As popular items have been taken off the shelves, many shoppers have turned to online shopping. When shopping online, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that consumers are at risk of buying fake and shoddy toys.

According to US PIRG, traditional retail stores like Ali Cat Toys must have a children's product certificate, which means that they meet all federal safety standards.

"We hope that all the suppliers we buy have fully tested the toys. They are safe, especially for small children. This is very important when dealing with babies, because they do put a lot of things in their mouths. ," Kesselman said.

Before buying a toy, please make sure it has a children's product certificate, which can be found on the packaging.

US PIRG’s ​​annual toy problem report recommends avoiding buying counterfeit and counterfeit toys. It also recommends staying away from noisy toys, toys that have a choking hazard, and check whether second-hand toys have been recalled in the past.

Kesselman took over Ali Cat Toys seven years ago, and she said she has seen more toys that are safe for young children.

"Until about 2 years ago, it was really difficult for customers to find something between 18 months and 2 years, but more and more manufacturers are making safe products for two years or more-everything from puzzles to games. People like it," Kesselman said.

Kesselman has already started placing orders for the next busiest toy season, Valentine's Day and Easter.

Ali Cat Toys will host an annual parent shopping night from 6pm to 8pm on December 2nd