Near-facsimiles of some of the world’s most popular fashion staples, from Lululemon Athletica Inc’s yoga tights to Hermes International SCA’s handbags, are appearing in closets across China for a fraction of the price. Known in Chinese as "pingti” – and Gen Z shopping parlance as "dupes”, their popularity reflects a backlash against brands among formerly label-loving Chinese shoppers. But they’re not cheap counterfeits either: these local makers sell products at relatively high prices by promising the same quality as top global brands – just without the logos.
That includes items like a 3,200-yuan (approximately RM1,946) herringbone tweed overcoat from fashion apparel maker Chicjoc, which says it’s made from Italian fabrics obtained from a supplier to Prada SpA and Bottega Veneta. Sales have skyrocketed since last year, as Chinese consumers search for better value amid faltering economic confidence. In the 12 months ending in July, some of the top local labels selling cheaper alternatives saw double-to-triple-digit growth on China’s dominant ecommerce platforms, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s Taobao and Tmall, data from analytics firm Hangzhou Zhiyi Technology Co show.
At the same time, some of the foreign brands whose products they emulate saw slower growth or declines on the platforms, according to the data. While online sales aren’t the full picture for foreign brands that have brick-and-mortar shops, the meteoric rise of "dupes" are the latest threat .