The End of Yeti Knockoffs?

[Jacob John]

I agree with you. The king was RTIC and they got smashed by Yeti, so I think the wave is over.

[Jacob John]

What about Costco's Member's Mark version...?

Personally, I'm not so sure this wasn't a marketing ploy conjured up by a bunch of recent college grads. Aside from different logos (inserts are POC to make), all of these cups are virtually identical, and I'd bet a buck they were all made in the same building in China. Think about it-- who's getting sued for damags? No one! "Change the cup"... reeeeallly?? Anyone else would have sued their pants off. But wait, if a group of buddies own all these companies, it's basically suing yourself, not much fun or profit in that (taxes on the windfall would cost more than the taxes saved by the losses on the other end)...

So lets see, Yeti comes out, and it's a hit because they work. After a year or so, suddenly half price Yeti's with a different name start popping up like whack-a-moles. It wouldn't surprise me if sales of the clones outpaced the originals by 5 to 1 or so. Clone sales start to slow, alert the media to the fact a lawsuit may be looming... Everyone stocks up, the market is saturated, let the lawsuits begin...

and the owners are probably sipping champagne on a 100 meter yacht off the coast of Dubai as I type this.... And it all perfectly fits the New Millennial's business model: Make millions as fast as you can. And regardless of who owns what, millions were definitely made...

Conspiracy theory, absolutely And I have a psychic prediction: Within 1 year, Yeti will be sold to someone else...

Not sure that it's a full conspiracy as my understanding of RTIC's very existence is tied to a personal relationship (friends, family, something) between YETI and RTIC owners, management, something.

[John Lifer]

You may be partially right John, but I don't think that's the full issue here. "...Yeti claimed that it owns trade dress rights, referring to the visual appearance of a product and its packaging..." That is beyond just a simple shape/design of the mugs. The only thing I would think is happening is they have hired the slickest lawyers money can buy and have bamboozled & bullied these companies into submission.

K, I totally agree with the bamboozle. I think Rtic agreed to change thinking it would take a couple of months and it's been 3. Now I think Rtic business model as a bit flawed and a lot of folks that were buying got upset with them not really wholesaling them and posting discount prices on line. So they may be hurting a bit. But I look at JDS now offering many colors along with Walmart. Market is getting saturated. Just how many do you need?

[Tim Bateson]

I personally don't care what it says on the side of the mug. Function wise they are all the same (except for that stupid top on Yeti can coolies). I only sell a few on request, mostly the Ozark. What-ever brand a customer brings me pays the same.

[Matt McCoy]

The Coca-Cola bottle shape is the common example of Trade Dress (trademark) infringement. If you remove the markings, the knock-off products would look identical to the Yeti, which is the problem.

[Mike Null]

Matt
Excellent example.

[Bob WrightNC]

A quick google of chinese yeti cup takes you to a selection of vendors that sell knockoffs from China. On DHGate, you can buy a 20 ounce with Yeti labels and at least identical looking to the yeti cup for $8.34 US on quantities of 50+(even has the raised YETI on the stainless). Free shipping to the US. Estimated arrival time, less than a week.

And there is not just one vendor - many very highly rated.

Think they can stop that?

[John Lifer]

And that is their problem. I've seen advertised on a guys webpage yetis (marked yeti!) Engraved for $25. You can't buy the yeti for that! Chinese knockoffs "Wish" Is the other big Chinese site, kind of an eBay. Way humteen many distributors on there selling Yetis!!! Can't fight an octopus!

[Scott Shepherd]

We don't normally supply the cups for anyone. That's why I believe it's going to slow this market down. Consumers aren't going to order cases from China and bring them to us, and I'm not going to carry Chinese cups with the Yeti name on them, so I suspect this market will fade out unless RTIC and Ozark come out with new designs that appear to be improvements over the Yeti design.

[Kev Williams]

We don't normally supply the cups for anyone. That's why I believe it's going to slow this market down. Consumers aren't going to order cases from China and bring them to us, and I'm not going to carry Chinese cups with the Yeti name on them, so I suspect this market will fade out unless RTIC and Ozark come out with new designs that appear to be improvements over the Yeti design.

Consumers, no, but businesses might- I've always got some form of beverage cup in this house to engrave (just finished 40 Hydroflasks last night), but not once has 'the public' brought me a cup to engrave. Last year an online acquaintance who runs some business shipped me dozens of Ozarks, to be used as biz gifts. The Hydroflasks come from a lady who runs a yoga/wellness spa, I put her logo on, she sells them to her customers at the rate of about 1 per day. A few of my local customers also use the knockoffs (but never the Yeti's) as biz giveaways. Those who like the Yeti style may jump at the chance at getting even cheaper knockoffs...?

I've been getting a few of these"SIC" cups lately, the look very much like Yeti's, but the size and shape are noticeably different. Someone was thinking ahead DSC06148 (Custom).JPG

[Mike Null]

I have chosen not to stock and sell the insulated cups as they are so readily available at prices similar to my costs. I do mostly commercial work and most of my customers are popping for the Yeti brand.

I turn down onesie business on these as even my $25 minimum is not worth converting my machine. Unlike what I am reading, I see this as another banner year for insulated cups.

[Matt McCoy]

Most, if not all, U.S. marketplaces (e.g., Ebay, Etsy, Amazon, etc.) will comply with IP infringement takedown notices pretty quickly, because of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If they don't, they can be held liable. It's tougher for items on Chinese marketplaces, like DHGate and AliExpress, but leverage is put on them by U.S. payment processors and internet service providers, if they want access to American businesses and consumers. They have DMCA protocols too, but it's time consuming and costly. Probably not an issue for Yeti, since they filed on Wal-Mart.

The Yeti is really about brand recognition and status, which will fade when the next cool thing (sorry!) catches the attention of consumers.

[Doug Fisher]

>>I've seen advertised on a guys webpage yetis (marked yeti!) Engraved for $25. You can't buy the yeti for that!.... Way humteen many distributors on there selling Yetis!!! Can't fight an octopus!<<

So true. "But I see Yeti's on Esty for $19.99 with monograms included." I feel like I am wasting my breath if I even try to point out fake Yetis, applied graphics versus laser etching, actual final shipping charges, the extra charge you can expect when you ask Etsy guy to do a logo versus a standardized monogram, the benefit of proofs plus fast delivery when buying local, etc., etc. They are fixated on that $19.99.

[Bob WrightNC]

Unlike what I am reading, I see this as another banner year for insulated cups.

I thought Corkcicles would slow down too Mike but they keep on rolling.