Beyond the Luxury Label: The Rise of ‘DUPE’ Culture and the Allure of Affordable Alternatives
Conspicuous consumption is on the decline and ‘dupe consumption’ is on the rise.
Uniqlo, high-priced brand collaboration products ‘popular’
“Substitute for luxury cosmetics” Popular ‘mugwort’ in Daiso’s beauty section
“Cost-effective consumption is trending as inflation continues to rise”
[사진 = 유니클로 제공]
It appears that the ‘flex’ trend, which was previously the consumer culture of the MZ generation, is fading away and a consumption trend focusing on cost-effectiveness is becoming more prominent. The ‘yono’ trend of buying only what is absolutely necessary and the ‘dupe consumption’ of looking for low-cost alternatives to expensive luxury goods are becoming mainstream.
According to the distribution industry on the 3rd, products that can replace expensive luxury cosmetics and clothing are coming out.
The most representative brand is Uniqlo. Following Christopher Lemaire, JW Anderson, Jil Sander, and Marni, Uniqlo recently released limited edition products in collaboration with famous fashion designer Clare Waite, formerly of Givenchy. Every time Uniqlo releases a limited edition product in collaboration with high-priced brands, it is a huge hit, with lines forming in front of stores and selling out immediately on online sites.
The Uniqlo collection is more expensive than regular Uniqlo clothes, but much cheaper than the original brand’s clothes. It has the identity and style of a luxury product, but at a much lower price.
For this reason, among young people, luxury brands are sometimes referred to as ‘~taste’. For example, the clothes that Lemaire and Uniqlo collaborated on are called ‘Lemaire-flavored Uniqlo.’ The SPA brand Zara is also called ‘Lemaire-flavored Zara’ because some of its products are similar to Lemaire’s designs.
A screen showing a search for ‘dupe’ on the short-form platform TikTok. The photo on the right shows the popular ‘Son & Park’ brand color balm at Asung Daiso. [사진 = 틱톡 캡쳐·아성다이소 제공]
Dupe consumption is also prominent in the cosmetics market.
In the case of the ‘Daiso Beauty Division’, which is the leading consumer of cosmetic dupes, sales from January to September this year grew by about 160% compared to the same period last year. The 3,000 won ‘Son & Park Artistic Spread Color Balm’ sold at Daiso is said to have similar functions to the 63,000 won ‘Chanel Lip & Cheek Balm’ and is so popular that it sells out immediately.
For this reason, domestic beauty conglomerates are expanding Daiso-exclusive brands to attract Dupes.
LG Household & Health Care launched its dedicated brand ‘Pure Derma’ in April, followed by ‘Care Zone’ in July. Amore Pacific also launched a new low-priced brand ‘Mimo by Mamonde’ last month.
DUP consumption is also increasing in electronic devices such as smart watches and wireless earphones. Xiaomi, Nothing Watch, etc. have a price difference of up to 8 times based on the lowest price of Apple Watch 10 46mm.
Analysis suggests that this consumption trend among young people is due to a decrease in spending due to high prices. ‘YOLO: You Only Live Once’, a consumption pattern that values current happiness with the idea of ‘you only live once’, and ‘YONO’ and DUPE consumption, which emphasize cost-effectiveness instead of ‘flex culture’ is rising.
An industry official said, “It would be best to buy luxury goods or expensive brand products, but as pockets become more difficult due to prolonged high prices, conspicuous consumption is also decreasing,” adding, “The industry is also focusing on ‘cost-effective products’ with good quality at reasonable prices.” “He said.