Boujee on a Budget: Why Affordable Luxury is on the Rise

More people are ditching expensive designer brands for budget-friendly alternatives that look, feel, and perform just as well. With rising living costs and social media making dupes more accessible, shoppers are realising that a high price tag doesn’t always mean better quality.

Take fragrances, for example, why spend over £100 on YSL Libre when Zara's Golden Decade smells nearly identical for a fraction of the price? The same goes for homeware, with shoppers hitting up B&M and Home Bargains for stylish finds that don’t break the bank. When it comes to beauty, Aldi’s Lacura Honeycomb is a popular dupe for Laura Mercier’s products, and Home Bargains is stocking alternatives for brands like Sol de Janeiro and Byoma.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are fueling this trend with #dupe videos showing side-by-side comparisons and 'Shop with me' videos in shops like Home Bargains. This wave of Dupe Shopper Discovery is making budget shopping cool.

Then there’s DHgate, where people go straight to manufacturers in China to cut out the

middleman and save even more. Why pay full price when you can get nearly the same product for less?

This shift towards affordable luxury isn’t just a trend, it’s becoming the new normal. People care less about the label and more about getting good quality for their money. Brands are starting to take notice.

So, where do you stand? Do you belong as designer or dupe? Is your product ready for this shift?

Book a discovery call here  find out how to keep up with these changing habits.