Bogg’s founder takes each dupe she sees personally.
Kim Vaccarella began making Bogg 15 years ago to be the ultimate beach bag for working moms. She saw an opportunity in the plastic material used for flip-flops — durable and waterproof.
Thus, the Bogg bag was born with its patented design featuring signature holes and a flat bottom, which Bogg says makes it tip-proof.
“My plan was to come up with the idea, patent it, and maybe sell it because I had a career,” Vaccarella said. “Once I put my papers in for the patent and started reaching out to a few companies, I was getting a lot of nos.”
There were those who said the Bogg bag was a one-time purchase that wouldn’t attract repeat customers.
Vaccarella believed in her idea, however, and quit her job in 2018 to run the company full time. It wasn’t long after that she realized she had a viral hit on her hands thanks to social media. The power of TikTok and beyond has been a game changer for Bogg. It led the business to $100 million in annual revenue by 2024, Vaccarella said.
However, being the new it-bag came with its hardships. Along with her success came Vaccarella’s No. 1 enemy: dupes.
Dupes are products that are similar in appearance or functionality to a higher-end item but sold at a lower price. Bogg bags start at $55 for the smallest size and go up to $100 for the largest. Similar bags in the largest size sell online from retailers like Walmart for less than the small Bogg “bitty bag.”
“Social media is kind of that double-edged sword where you’re getting a lot of exposure, a lot of new customers, but also, that visibility is introducing new competitors and giving them ideas,” Vaccarella told Business Insider.
The viral success and dupes that have come with it have cost Bogg tens of millions of dollars, Vaccarella said.
As dupes become more common, even larger brands like Lululemon have taken action to curb copycats, including suing retailers. To combat the copycats, Vaccarella said she keeps three principles in mind.
Know your audience
Gen Z may be the talk of the town among many retailers, but Vaccarella said that Bogg knows its customer base skews older. Its target shoppers are women ages 18 to 64, but moms over 35 are the brand’s “sweet spot,” she said.
“She’s carrying all the things for a day at the ball field, for the pool, for the beach,” Vaccarella said.
Knowing who is willing to pay the premium price for the real thing is a key part of its strategy.
Social media is also a powerful tool driving Bogg’s growth. Vaccarella said that it has helped build its customer base to 78% new shoppers, with 22% being returners.
It’s still not an ideal mix, Vaccarella said, as companies tend to want to see a higher percentage of return visits. However, she said the numbers are based on Bogg’s direct-to-consumer business and don’t include its retail partners that carry Bogg products, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Nordstrom, or Bloomingdale’s.
You won’t find Bogg bags at your local Hobby Lobby, Five Below, or other discount stores, though.
“Unfortunately, with our pricing, we can’t sell in a Walmart,” Vaccarella said.
Stand up for your ideas
Vaccarella has taken legal action against retailers whose marketing and products she thinks could confuse consumers. It’s not about making a profit, she said, but making up for the “significant” amount of revenue that may have been taken away from Bogg.
“I just want them to stop in most cases,” Vaccarella said.
Bogg applied for trade dress, a form of intellectual property protection that protects a product’s visual appearance. It’s worth the time and money, she said.
It’s helped Bogg when it sent out cease-and-desists, followed by further legal action. Suing copycats isn’t a “money-making scheme,” Vaccarella said.
“Even if it pays the legal fees that I have to pay, just to get somebody to stop, it’s worth it,” she said.
Offer something the dupes can’t
While dupes make certain product types more accessible to those who can’t afford to spend $100 on a bag, Vaccarella said some things can’t be replicated.
That’s how Bogg justifies its premium pricing. You may be able to pick up a similar bag for $20, but Vaccarella said it won’t come with the service Bogg offers.
“I’m not going to say every single dupe is a throwaway product, but we see that they break,” Vaccarella said. “If your bag breaks, if the button comes off, we’re going to send you a new button.”
It’s not only the repairs that Vaccarella said keep customers loyal, but also the ability to accessorize your bag to make it both functional and stylish. Shoppers may hope to kit out their Bogg dupes with accessories from the real brand, but they don’t fit.
It’s an opportunity to get them to buy into the Bogg family and leave their dupes behind.
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