The king of the holiday gift guide is taking on the (alleged) king of the dupes.
What happened: Williams-Sonoma — a top name in fancy cookery and home goods — sued Quince, alleging that the online retailer misled shoppers with false advertising, marketing products Williams-Sonoma never sold as "like Williams-Sonoma, but half the price.”
Catch-up: Quince has garnered devoted fans in recent years by promising luxury quality at reduced rates. It does this by hocking a vast array of wares — usually sporting the muted, greige look beloved by elder millennials — to consumers straight from manufacturers.
- These products aren’t really luxury (and the company has issues keeping popular items in stock), but they’re generally high enough quality considering the price point.
Yes, but: Quince has come under fire for essentially being a gussied-up dupe factory. As Williams-Sonoma points out, it’s invited that criticism by explicitly comparing its goods to well-known brands. Also, let’s be real, many items look nearly identical to other products.
- Quince has already been sued twice for stealing designs, by Uggs-owner Deckers Brands (Quince won), and by Coach-owner Tapestry (that case is still pending).
Why it matters: Quince is expanding. In fact, it started shipping to Canada just this month. As more consumers turn towards dupes to save money, it looks like legal threats might be the only things standing in the way of a proliferation of ‘Temu, but actually decent quality,’ D2C businesses.—QH