"It's Not a Knock-Off, It's a Dupe"

Fakes, counterfeit products or knock-offs are shedding their previously undesirable image and are making a comeback as highly sought-after dupes. Data from Statista Consumer Insights shows that two-thirds of surveyed Americans familiar with the concept had bought dupes in different categories before, the most popular being apparel, handbags, footwear and fragrances.

The basic idea behind dupes and knock-offs is the same, as both are copies of a popular branded or luxury products that consumers can purchase for less. However, those items refered to as dupes are usually legal products that don't copy brand names or logos. However, in the area of intellectual property, dubes can also be breaking the rules if they copy a unique design too closely. The same is true about marketing something specifically as a dupe.

According to the data, around a quarter of those in the survey had purchased dupes of apparel items, handbags and/or footwear before. Around 1 in 5 had done the same with skincare products, accessories and color cosmetics like make-up.