Gen Z saves big by buying dupes instead of name brands

Gen Z shopper Emily Huang of Boston likes buying dupes or name-brand alternatives for herself and her friends.

When she was studying abroad in Shanghai last year, she went to a market and bought her friends dupes of wallets that looked like ones from Gucci, Prada and Goyard but cost $10 to $20 instead of hundreds of dollars.

"There's so many good dupes nowadays," Huang, 22, told USA TODAY. Her friends "got new wallets and they're pretty close to the real thing if you don't look too close."

Gen Z shoppers are price conscious

Gen Z shoppers like Huang are proud of their purchases of alternatives to expensive name brand or trending items, often referred to as "dupes."

In a recent survey by PwC, 82% of Gen Z shoppers said they planned to buy dupes this holiday season.

"With Gen Z, price is their love language. They've been raised in an era of rising costs and they're laser-focused on cost transparency," Ali Furman, PwC consumer markets industry leader, told USA TODAY.

They're the generation that loves a good dupe, Furman said.

"They'll celebrate dupe culture on social media as a sign of being a smart shopper versus generations before then might feel a little bit guilty about buying a dupe or even bad about it," she said.

Gen Z shoppers like to dupe various categories including bags, cosmetics, apparel and footwear, said Furman.  

Gen Z friends like buying, receiving dupes

Huang, who now works in sales for an event rental company, said buying dupes is practical and said many Gen Zers enjoy getting something that looks like an expensive name brand, but for cheaper.

Huang said given her limited income, she can't afford the real thing and has been satisfied with the quality of most dupes she has bought.

"A lot of the dupes I really partake in have been more like things that I know are going to be out of fashion or trends that are so quick ... that it's not worth the money (for the name brand)," she said.

Huang has also bought dupe Croc shoes, Prada sunglasses and a Lafufu, the dupe of the popular trending Labubu doll.

Among her friends, they also buy a dupe that is either spot-on for the name brand or so bad that it is a joke, she said.

"If I was buying gifts for my friends, I would either buy a really bad dupe or a really good dupe. You can't go in between," she said. "If it's a bad one, then it's just funny. If it's a really good one, then me and you know, but who else knows?"

Dupes make trending items accessible

Dupes are often targeted to Gen Z and millennial shoppers because they are often looking for a high quality product that is not going to break the bank, said Shikha Jain, a partner and head of consumer/retail at Simon-Kucher, a commercial strategy consulting firm.

"You've got these identical products of high-end luxury designer (products) at those affordable prices. It's not necessarily pure imitation but embracing the imitations," Jain told USA TODAY. Jain also said dupes are different than counterfeit products since dupes are made to look very close to the real thing, but are not trying to pass for the name brand.

Dupes allow cost-conscious shoppers "to seek good value and participate in trends," she said. As some of the younger shoppers become wealthier, "ideally, they will then trade up into that designer or top-end product," she said.

Gen Z shoppers put a premium on value, Jain said, and have embraced thrifting, resale and upcycling, making them more mainstream. They are also excited to share their financial prudence, she said.

Because of economic uncertainty and inflation, "it's about accessibility and less allegiance for younger consumers," Jain said. "They want to show that they can still have access to aesthetics and quality and taste versus the high-price status item, which is going to burn a hole in their pocket."

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which breaks down complex consumer and financial news. Subscribe here.