With the increase in social media marketing, dupes have become much more popular in everyday life. A dupe is a slang word for duplicate which is used to describe a product that is modeled after another product made by a name brand. Clothing, shoes and makeup are common items that shoppers can find dupes for, both in-store and in online shopping. The new increase in dupe products is allowing consumers to purchase trendy items for much lower prices while still maintaining the high quality of the items made by name brand companies.
One major makeup company who is known for their dupe products is Elf. With their Halo-Glow Beauty Wands modeled after Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Wands, their Lash and Roll Mascara influenced by Benefit’s Roller Lash Mascara, the Glow Reviver Lip Oil inspired by Dior’s Addict Lip Glow Oil and so many more.
“Elf’s contour dupe is probably one of my favorites because it is just like the expensive one so I save lots of money,” WHS student Gabby Buckley said.
Elf’s several products, similar to luxury makeup brands, are giving more opportunities for people to purchase makeup who cannot afford higher end products or just simply want to save money on everyday beauty items.
Similar to makeup, shoes and clothes are other popular items that shoppers can find dupes for. With the rise in popularity of Uggs, many companies attempt to make similar shoes to interest a larger number of customers.
“My favorite dupe would have to bear Bear Paw slippers as a replacement for uggs. I love these shoes and they’re really comfortable and affordable.”WHS student Samantha Morin said.
Despite the rise in dupes being beneficial to certain shoppers, the name brands are suffering with their profits. Due to these off-brand products on the market, the more reduced prices are bringing more attention to the cheaper option making the name brand companies less appealing.
In coming years it will not be a surprise if these dupe products continue to increase in sales along with the rise in social media marketing. Social media is exposing more and more shoppers to a variety of different products along with alternatives for expensive items.
