article

Gen Z and Millennials Now Prefer Dupes to Luxury, for More Than Just the Prices

YPulse’s new trend report shows more young consumers have purchased a dupe than a luxury item, but not just for the prices—the majority actually prefer dupes over the real thing…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

Nov 10 2023
North America

KEY TAKEAWAYS

More young consumers have purchased a dupe product than have purchased a luxury item, even amongst Millennials with a bit more disposable income
They like buying dupes because it helps them save money while maintaining a “luxury” feel
At the same time, the majority of young consumers agree they’d still buy a dupe even if they could afford the real thing—proving this is more than an economic trend

Maybe you’ve heard that “dupes” are the shopping trend of the year, or that young people have a “dupe mindset” because money is tight. But YPulse’s new Dupe Mindset trend report (or watch the 30-min trend recap webinar here) shows that for Gen Z and Millennial shoppers, dupes are much more than a just-for-now budget sacrifice. This trend has impacted their views on luxury and retail as a whole; the majority now believe that virtually anything can be duped, from activities and travel to food and products. They’ll proudly tell someone they’ve bought a dupe, and it’s a flex to show off when they’ve found a “special” item—in fact, YPulse data proves more say so than those who say they’re excited to show off an expensive buy. While the majority of young consumers do agree that the allure of being on a budget has been romanticized, that’s not the only reason they’re buying into the dupe mindset. The vast majority of young consumers have bought a dupe product, and...