‘Ripped off’: Aussie business owner fumes over ‘dupe’ product and claims she’s been ‘copied’

A successful Aussie business owner has been left fuming after seeing something on social media that made her feel “ripped off”.

An Aussie business owner was scrolling through TikTok when her heart sank because customers were tagging her and claiming Kmart had “ripped off” her product.

Sandra Abade and her brother Luca started their dog harness brand, DogFriendlyCo, in 2019 with the vision of creating comfortable and safe harnesses for all dogs.

Ms Abade, who was working as an airport manager at the time, was struggling to find harnesses that actually fit her burly bulldog.

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The 36-year-old soon realised there was a “gap in the market” because harnesses were often designed based on smaller dog’s measurements, and she found that made them fit “awkwardly” on her bigger dog.

Sandra Abade and her brother Luca started the business together. Picture: Supplied

She just wanted to find a good harness fit. Picture: Supplied

Ms Abade said that, alongside her brother, they started creating harnesses that were designed to fit bigger dogs. Then, they came up with the genius idea of allowing customers to customise the harnesses.

People could put their pet’s names or send a message to let people know if the dog was a working dog or anxious and needed space.

“It is really cute and it sparks a conversation and brings a sense of happiness to the community,” she said.

Ms Abade came up with the idea because 2019 was the era of people wanting their names embroidered on handbags, wallets, and diaries, and she figured, wouldn’t people want to do the same for their dogs?

The brand took off. She attributes the success partly to the design and partly to the customisation option.

Ms Abade and her brother quit their jobs and focused on upscaling the business. They now have two warehouses, one in Australia and one in the US, over 20 employees, and it has become a multimillion-dollar success.

“We put everything into it,” she said.

Her gorgeous dog that made her want to start the brand. Picture: Supplied

Kmart is now selling an $13 harness. Picture: TikTok/AffordableFinds

Things felt like they couldn’t have been going better, and then Ms Abade was repeatedly tagged in a TikTok from the account MyAffordableFinds.

The creator was telling followers to “run to Kmart” because the store was now selling a $13 custom dog harnesses.

Ms Abade’s brand, DogFriendlyCo, sells its signature kit, which contains a harness, lead, and custom patches, for $99.

This is the $99 dollar pack. Picture: Supplied

People in the comment section were quick to notice the similarities between the cheap harnesses and the brand Ms Abade had put her blood, sweat and tears into.

“Blatantly just took DogFriendlyCo out of business,” one wrote.

Someone else encouraged followers to “support the actual brand” instead of the knock-off version, and another said the designs were “stealing” from an established Australian company.

Not everyone online felt the same way, though. Someone said the harnesses offer a “budget-friendly option”, and another said the $13 price tag made it a “no-brainer” purchase.

Another commenter defended Kmart and argued that “plenty” of companies are making these types of harnesses.

A spokesperson for Kmart told news.com.au that, “Our merchandise team is focused on creating curated ranges that align back to global trends that we are seeing, enabling us to provide our customers with great products at the lowest possible price.”

“This is particularly important with current cost of living pressures. Every day Australians deserve to be able to access great products that they need at great prices,” the spokesperson said.

“Our merchandise process also ensures we conduct thorough checks during the product ranging and development process, to ensure we are not infringing the rights of others.”

Ms Abade said she felt immediately frustrated after noticing the similarities between the two products.

“We don’t want people to confuse our brand for Kmart because we’ve put so much effort in,” she said.

“It is just frustrating. It is an easy way to take someone’s idea, and once it starts taking off, create a cheap version to make money.”

The business owner said it is so disappointing because bigger brands have “more power” and can create more volume and market the product on a much bigger scale, while a smaller brand like hers can’t compete.

It is also frightening because both she and her brother have put everything on the line to make their business work.

“We did take risks in terms of leaving our jobs, and it was going well, but now this giant company is copying us,” she said.

Originally published as ‘Ripped off’: Aussie business owner fumes over ‘dupe’ product and claims she’s been ‘copied’