Looking to Stretch Your Budget? Try Dupes

Your company is celebrating a major milestone, and you’ve been asked to find a nice brand-name gift for employees. Unfortunately, the budget doesn’t cover the projected costs.

Or imagine your department is hosting a large meeting and you’d like to present attendees with a high-quality branded polo shirt, but the price tag for a recognized brand means you’d have to cut corners elsewhere.

Or you want to find a memorable giveaway for an upcoming event, but don’t want to break the bank. What do you do?

It’s time to consider dupes.

What is a Dupe?

“Dupe” is short for duplicate—a nearly exact copy of a popular retail or luxury brand, but at a fraction of the price. The popularity of dupes has been growing over the past several years, starting with apparel and cosmetics but recently spreading to encompass drinkware, bags, and other unique products as well.

Retailers like SHEIN and Amazon have been selling and distributing dupes for quite a while, to great success. The promotional product industry has taken notice and has responded by creating dupes of traditionally popular branded products and giveaways.

Consumers are on board with this trend. According to Porch Group Media, a recent study by Nielsen has found that only 8% of global consumers are “loyal to the brands from which they’ve always bought.” The numbers in the U.S. are nearly identical, with 9% of buyers admitting to being “brand loyal.”

In fact, according to the research, growing numbers of consumers are open to trying new brands and products. In the U.S., 36% say they love to try new brands and products while 55% say they “sometimes try new brands and products.” The primary motivation is predictable: economics. “Value for money” was cited as the main reason for choosing a new product or brand by 38% of respondents, while 32% claim that “price or promotion” drives their choice.

The Benefits of Dupes

In addition to stretching budgets, there are a number of other benefits to using dupes for branded promotional products.

First, since they are not tied to any pre-existing brand restrictions, dupes typically offer more color options. That makes it easier for customers to match their corporate palettes.

Second, because they are not dependent on the parent retail brand for stocking, dupes are rarely out of stock. Higher inventory levels mean you don’t have to worry about availability.

Third, production times are usually shorter. This is because any customization or decoration can be performed in-house rather than through a special third-party location approved by the brand owner.

Finally, dupes are more flexible when it comes to personalized branding. Most, if not all, name brands have strict rules about how and where another company’s logo can appear on their product, and they demand the right to review and approve any designs prior to production. Dupes don’t have those same restrictions and normally have larger imprint areas since there is no need to accommodate or work around other logos.

Some Dupes to Consider

There are several popular dupes in the apparel, drinkware, and tote bags fields. We’ve highlighted a handful of them below, but there are many others. Marketing fulfillment companies like OnFulfillment are happy to help you find others based on your needs; all you need to do is reach out. We’ll explain how at the end of this blog.

Apparel

Retail: Levi’s Denim Jacket (starting at $125 decorated)

Dupe: Threadfast Apparel Unisex Denim Jacket (starting at $56 decorated)

Denim jackets are a timeless closet staple and a gift anyone would be happy to receive. The name “Levi’s” is synonymous with this particular accessory, but Threadfast offers a stylish and high-quality alternative for less than half the price. Consider branding the Threadfast jacket with a fun heat-transferred design or pattern on the back.

Retail: Nike Swoosh Sleeve rLegend Performance Tee (starting at $28 decorated)

Retail Dupe: New Era Series Performance Crew Tee (starting at $18 decorated)

Non-Retail Dupe: Sport-Tek Echo Tee (starting at $10 decorated)

While everyone loves to buy Nike, not everyone has the budget to buy their t-shirts, on top of the costs of branding them. In this case, there are a few options depending on what your needs are. If you still want a retail performance brand but want to save some money, New Era provides the trust retail brands give but a fraction of the price of the Nike. If the quality matters more than the brand, Sport-Tek is an industry exclusive performance brand that was made to be decorated. Since dupes do not have the same decoration limitations as Nike, consider placing your corporate logo in a unique location like as a small icon on the sleeve or on the bottom hem corner.

Retail: LuluLemon Define Jacket ($118 NOT decorated)

Dupe: Sport-Tek Ladies Sport-Wick Flex Fleece Full Zip (starting at $40 decorated)

The Sport-Tek jacket, featuring the same lightweight stretch fleece fabric, zipped side pockets, and thumb loops available with the LuluLemon product, was designed to be branded, with lots of space and freedom to customize with your brand. Consider decorating with a black imprint or embroidery; this will elevate the look with subtle branding and make it more wearable in everyday settings.

Retail: Under Armour Men's Team Tech Quarter Zip (starting at $45 decorated)

Dupe: Team 365 Men's Zone Performance Quarter Zip (starting at $21 decorated)

The Team 365 jacket is available in a variety of colors, allowing you to match your corporate palette without paying an exorbitant price. Both the Team 365 and Under Armour products are made with 100% moisture-wicking polyester, but only the Team 365 item was designed specifically for being imprinted upon. Consider branding the sleeves for an even sportier look or use a heat seal to print full colors in a number of other locations

Drinkware

Retail: Stanley 40 oz. Quencher Travel Tumbler (starting at $50 decorated)

Dupe: Riley 40 oz. Double Wall Stainless Steel Travel Mug (starting at $16 decorated)

The Stanley tumbler was arguably the most popular drinkware product in the U.S. in 2023. The Riley travel mug offers the same style and functionality as the Stanley, but at a fraction of the price. If replicating the Stanley design style is the goal, imprint the Riley mug with a fun color or different shake of the tumbler’s color. For a sleeker look, consider laser engraving.

Retail: Yeti Rambler 14 oz. Stackable Mug (starting at $43 decorated)

Dupe: 14 oz. Urban Peak Trek Vacuum Camp Mug (starting at $20 decorated)

The well-known Yeti insulated and handled mugs have been duped by Urban Peak. That means rather than waiting weeks, you can get your decorated mugs in just five days from approval to ship out—for less than half the price and with considerably more freedom when it comes to decoration. Laser engraving the handle is a unique branding option for this product, along with imprinting the base of the mug.

Bags & Totes

Retail: The Original Bogg Tote Bag ($90 NOT decorated, not in the branding space)

Dupe: Sol Mate Tote Bag (starting at $35 decorated)

The popular rubber-style Bogg tote bag has been duped by many retailers. The Sol Mate promotional bag offers the same easy-to-wash, quick-to-dry, hard-to-tip-over features as the original Bogg bag at well under half the price. The available imprint area provides considerable room for your corporate brand.

Retail: BÉIS the Weekender Overnight Bag ($108 NOT decorated, not in the branding space)

Dupe: Weekender Travel Bag with Drop Bottom (starting at $37 decorated)

The BÉIS bag, frequently seen on social media on the arms of influencers and celebrities, is currently not available in the promotional space. The dupe, which includes all the same compartments and styles as the original and fits perfectly on top of a roller bag, is available for customized branding—at a fraction of the price. For a subtle and stylish decoration, consider an imprint color that is a few shades lighter or darker than the bag itself.

Retail: Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag 1L ($45 decorated)

Dupe: Anywhere Belt Bag (starting at $5.99) & Anywhere Belt Bag XL (starting at $8.99 decorated)

This LuluLemon belt bag is seen decorating women everywhere, worn either around their waist as a fanny pack or across their chest as a fashion statement. These dupes offer the same look and functionality as the original, with one (the XL) about one inch taller and wider for more decoration space. Consider branding with a subtle tone-on-tone imprint with a slight sheen, which will make the logo stand out against the semi-matte finish of the bag.

Make the Most of Your Budget with Dupes 

Dupes help you stretch your budget, providing quality products at a fraction of the price of brand-name items. Unless there’s a valid reason to insist on a familiar brand, dupes will leave a favorable impression on more people—a win/win situation.

As mentioned previously, we’ve only covered a small sample of the dupes available in these and virtually every other product category. If you’d like to hear more about what’s available or are looking for gifting ideas, OnFulfillment would be happy to help.