‘Copycat brands’ growing in strength

Emerging markets have been successful in recent decades in engineering their own, localized, “copycat brands”, which emulate the success of similar organizations in developed markets.
The “copycat brands,” often unassuming at first, find success in emerging markets by adapting a proven concept tested abroad and infusing it with local or market-
specific attributes.
One of the most notable examples of “copycat success” is Guangzhou-
based Miniso, a Chinese imitation of Japanese retail brands Uniqlo, Muji and Daiso.
Miniso has been under widespread criticism after it credited its Japanese origins to some designers who have subsequently denied involvement in the brand.
Moreover, its Japanese-language labels are often incomprehensible to Japanese native speakers, indicating inauthenticity. The Beijinger claimed earlier this year that its labels make  “an interesting but incoherent bastardization of the Japanese language.”
The company, which has a handful of stores in Japan and is unheard of in its supposed “mother country”, has opened more than 1,100 shops in China, and many more in other locations across Southeast Asia. The brand currently operates four shops in Macau and is growing in popularity in the MSAR.
Even more striking is that Miniso has accomplished its rapid rise within just three years, and has a target of a fourfold expansion by 2020.
Regardless of its origins as a “copycat brand”, Miniso is growing in strength, and is forging its own identity in key markets outside of Japan.
Other examples of successful copycat concepts exist in emerging markets.
In China, the recent ascendance of Uber-like Didi Chuxing and other ride-hailing apps have all but stolen the spotlight of their inspiration, particularly now that Uber has signaled its exit from the mainland.
Other examples include Brazil’s highly successful Lojas Renner, modeled on Spain’s international Zara brand, South Korea’s The Face Shop, which drew its inspiration from The Body Shop in Britain, and China’s Anta Sports Products.
The latter, which uses a similar logo to sports brand Nike – only turned upside-down – has grown in the last three years to become the third-largest sports footwear brand in China.