In May 2023, Lululemon invited customers to do something a little different. Say they owned a pair of leggings that were – how to put this delicately – inspired by Lululemon’s famed Align pants, they could come to a pop-up space in Los Angeles and swap them for the real thing. No catches, no questions asked, no terms or conditions: a straight swap.

“Yes! Dupe swap!” says chief brand officer Nikki Neuburger with a laugh. She pauses, as if wondering how to explain this curious marketing move, one that rewarded people who’d bought a cheap version of a cult product by gifting them the real thing. “Dupe culture is prevalent, we know that,” she says. “And Lululemon is one of the top dupe brands. I see that as a compliment – people are saying, ‘this is an awesome product, but maybe you don’t want to spend that much’.”