Slate Daily Feed What Next: TBD | Rebroadcast: Dupes!
Nov 28, 2025
Mia Sato, a technology reporter for The Verge, dives into the fascinating online dupe economy where consumers can find cheaper knock-offs of trending products. She discusses how the internet's limitless shelf space and viral trends fuel rapid dupe production. Mia highlights beauty products as key players in this market and reveals how recommendation algorithms accelerate dupe popularity. The conversation also touches on the ethical considerations around duplicates, the challenges designers face with patents, and the impact of dupes on original creativity.
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Taylor Swift Made One Skirt Explode
- Cassie Ho screamed when she saw Taylor Swift wearing her Pirouette Skort, which triggered viral demand for the $60 PopFlex design.
- That visibility immediately spawned numerous cheaper copies across sites like Shein and Old Navy within days.
Endless Digital Shelf Space Speeds Dupes
- The internet's limitless shelf space lets pop-up storefronts and fast manufacturers flood demand niches quickly.
- A viral image can move from trend to prototypes to shipping in a week, accelerating the dupe economy.
Dupe Became A Universal Shortcut
- 'Dupe' now labels everything from skincare to travel destinations, signaling a cultural hunger for cheaper equivalents.
- The term's breadth creates a feedback loop where demand for dupes invites more suppliers to produce them.