"No Money for Chanel Bags"… Gen Z Satisfies Themselves by Buying 'This' Instead of Luxury Goods

Dupe Culture Spreads in China
Seeking Cost-Effective Alternatives Amid Economic Slowdown

Recently, the 'Dupe' consumption culture has been spreading among Generation Z in China. Dupe is a shortened term for duplication, referring to cost-effective alternatives that have similar quality to premium brands. Foreign media analyzed that this new consumption culture emerged as consumers sought cheaper products due to the economic downturn.

According to CNN in the United States, Jeong Ji-won (23), who works at an advertising agency in Guangzhou, said that due to the economic slowdown, she can no longer afford luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, or Prada. Instead, she started enjoying Dupe consumption, also called 'Pingti' (平替).

She said, "Two years ago, I earned 30,000 yuan (about 5.63 million won) per month. However, since last year, as the company's new business declined, my salary gradually decreased, and in February, it was drastically cut, reducing my income to half." She immediately reduced her expenses to match the cut salary and began consuming Dupe products instead of the luxury brands she used before.

Dupe refers to affordable alternatives with similar quality, differing from counterfeit products that copy logos to deceive consumers into thinking they are genuine luxury items. In fact, Dupe products are explosively popular in China. According to global market research firm Mintel, the number of Dupe searches on social networking services (SNS) increased about threefold from 2022 to 2024. Lauren Gu, a director at Mintel, said, "Ten years ago, Chinese shoppers were the world’s core luxury consumers, but now they are choosing cheaper alternatives. This trend is becoming mainstream."

Promotional photo of the sportswear brand Lululemon

For example, the Align product from the sportswear brand Lululemon is sold for 750 yuan (about 140,000 won) on the official Chinese website. However, on some e-commerce sites, cost-effective sportswear brands like Gymshark and Halara are reportedly gaining popularity instead of Lululemon.

Experts analyzed that the economic downturn has created a new consumption trend. As China’s consumer confidence index approaches an all-time low, the popularity of Dupe products is soaring. China’s consumer confidence index fell from 86.2 in June to 86.0 in July. This is slightly above the record low of 85.5 recorded in November 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, factors such as stock market declines and low wage growth are causing consumers to hesitate in spending. Ultimately, Dupe consumption is becoming popular mainly among young people struggling with high inflation.