Jennifer Huddleston, of the Cato Institute, warned proposed antitrust law changes may limit retailers like Amazon from offering "dupes," affordable alternatives to popular products, impacting consumer choice and affordability, according to an opinion piece in DC Journal.
"In this economy, many consumers are looking to keep up with trends and products they love via dupes, but changes to antitrust law could eliminate dupes as collateral damage and leave consumers with fewer choices and higher prices," Huddleston said in the DC Journal.
The term "dupe” first became part of the popular lexicon when beauty vloggers referred to budget-friendly drugstore cosmetics as dupes of high-end brands, the opinion piece noted. The trend expanded to include various categories like fashion, skincare, food and household items, with the tag #dupe reaching almost 5 billion views on TikTok and more than 300,000 posts on Instagram as of July 17.
Huddleston said many of these dupes are either generics or store-specific brands, like Amazon's Amazon Basics or Costco's Kirkland brand, according to DC Journal.
The proposed changes to antitrust law would impact large retailers' ability to offer these store-brand products. Huddleston cites the views of proponents like Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who are advocating for eliminating “self-preferencing,” a practice they claim harms smaller sellers by favoring in-house alternatives.
Critics, including Huddleston, warn these changes could result in the elimination of popular products, especially beloved dupes. Such proposals might compel retail platforms to either limit the ability of others to sell through their platforms or cease offering their own products, the opinion piece reported.
Huddleston further observed the implications of these changes could extend beyond Amazon to other third-party marketplaces like Target and Walmart, well-known for their in-house clothing lines that are seen as affordable dupes to pricier brands, the DC Journal piece said.
Emphasizing the timely importance of dupes for budget-conscious consumers, Huddleston cautioned these changes to antitrust laws could eliminate these options, leaving consumers with fewer choices and potentially higher prices, the opinion post reported.
The debate over antitrust laws and their potential impact on consumer choices continues, with opinions divided on the balance between competition, consumer preference and pricing fairness. As Huddleston's insights highlight, the proposed legal alterations could significantly impact a growing trend that resonates with a wide audience, making it an important consideration for policymakers, the DC Journal opinion piece said.
