Budget-friendly lookalikes become mainstream festive gifts for UK shoppers

Lower-priced products that resemble luxury gifts, known as “dupes”, have become a mainstream festive shopping trend as households manage strained finances. Social media, particularly TikTok, helps popularise them, while shoppers can use them to enjoy similar styles or scents for less.

Examples include Aldi’s £25 candle compared with the White Company’s £95 version, and Quince’s £50 cashmere jumper, shown against alternatives costing three times as much. Fragrance dupes are also widely promoted online: suggested swaps include Zara’s £15.99 Violet Blossom for Mugler’s Alien and Aldi perfumes for £7 a bottle. Research found 44% of UK 13- to 39-year-olds had bought a dupe in the past year, while 38% of UK consumers said they had switched to cheaper brands to manage shopping bills.