Don’t Get Duped by Your Customers!

The economy, uncertain as it is, has led to many consumers scaling back on their purchasing habits, and fragrances are no exception. When everyday necessities are getting more expensive, it isn’t surprising that customers don’t want to pay an arm and a leg just to smell nice. This is where the world of dupes really shakes things up.  

Essentially a generic version of a name brand product (think toaster waffles vs Eggo), dupes have existed in all shapes and sizes for decades. Fragrance dupes, however, have more recently been taking the internet by storm.  

The Scoop on These Dupes 

While a high-end perfume can cost around $200, young adults and teens on TikTok have been finding and sharing the dupes they’ve been able to find for a fraction of the price. These dupes are doing so well that perfume brands are starting to struggle. It’s extremely difficult to patent a scent, so these dupe companies can create their own perfume that smells nearly identical to the original, but that sells for $5 to $50 instead of over $100. Hashtags like #perfumedupe have thousands of posts, and influencers have even begun promoting fragrance dupes over the real things.  

To combat this, fragrance brands have had to be strategic about their next moves. The recent release of Dolce & Gabbana’s Fefé demonstrates a shift into the pet industry, but it doesn’t help that vets have frowned upon this idea. 

As for pet brands, there are a few things to learn from this trend:  

Quality Over Quantity  

Although they do smell great, fragrance dupes don’t always account for quality. Having bought perfume from Five Below before, I speak from experience when I say they usually don’t last as long on my skin as a $15 fragrance mist from Bath and Body Works.  

This is to say that even if a brand can seemingly replicate your product for cheaper, there’s no guarantee they are ensuring the same attention to quality as you are. The customers that care about true quality in their pets’ food will notice that.  

The Importance of Innovation 

Another takeaway from this fragrance industry fracas is that true innovation is what stands out among competitors. In a recent article by Jordan Tyler, Director of Media at BSM Partners, about Global Pet Expo 2025, she emphasized that most of the products she saw were interesting and met consumer needs, but few were truly innovative and different. This is something for pet brands to start focusing on. If your product doesn’t stand out in a crowd, consumers will find a cheaper alternative.  

That Something Special 

Like innovation, your product needs to have something special, or your customers will find that spark somewhere else. Luckily for you, BSM Partners has that something special—a team of experts and over 400 years of combined experience. When you partner with us, we’ll make sure that your product is not only well-formulated and compliant with regulations, but that it’s also the best possible product it can be.  

Beyond the Fragrance 

At this point, you might be asking yourself what the big deal is. It’s just perfume, right? The worst that can happen is that the scent might fade faster than the name brand fragrance. It’s bad for the perfume companies that are losing money, but that’s about the worst of it.   

Unfortunately, this dupe trend extends beyond perfumes and store brand breakfasts, and can include real consequences. Think about house flipping. In some cases, flippers will renovate a house using the cheapest materials possible. But what happens when someone buys that house and the fixtures start falling apart?  

Fragrance dupes might not carry inherent safety risks, but there are situations in which sacrificing quality for price can be dangerous for people—and pets. For example, if a pet food manufacturer cuts corners in food safety or doesn’t check the quality of its ingredients, pets could be harmed in the process. 

Sniffing out the Solution 

It's instances like this trend that remind us just how important it is to have an innovative, quality product. Economic pressures may make some consumers cut costs however they can, but when you partner with us, you make your brand irreplaceable. Let’s talk.

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About the Author

Cady Wolf is an Analyst at BSM Partners. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in English from Brigham Young University-Idaho, and she currently lives in Rexburg, Idaho with her husband, their two cats, and pet tortoise. She loves animals and learning about how to help pet brands and pet parents alike.