ALDI released a dupe for the $600 'Barney Bed'. The brand's owner reviewed it.

An Australian entrepreneur is calling out ALDI after a "dupe" of her product was spotted in-store.

Julia Sakr introduced the Barney Bed in 2019, after struggling to find a stylish yet supportive cushion for her senior dog Barney. It was difficult to find anything orthopedic that still looked beautiful — so she made her own "luxury" dog bed. 

Costing $600, the luxe pet bed gained traction instantly and earned her $1 million in the first week alone. It quickly  became a staple product for celebrities like Khloé Kardashian, Reese Witherspoon and Ariel Winter.

But Julia learned last week that an alternative that looked strikingly similar to her cult product was being sold in ALDI stores, at a much lower price point.

Watch: To dogs. Our best friends. Post continues after video. 

Where the original Barney Bed retails for anywhere between $255 and $696 (depending on size), the supermarket chain offered a similar-looking version of the beloved dog bed for $50.

But this is, of course, the age of the internet — so when Julia saw posts about the 'dupe', she headed into the budget retailer herself to compare the copy to her original design. And naturally, she uploaded the content on TikTok.

In the video, which has garnered more than 300,000 views, the entrepreneur delved into the differences between the two designs. She began to pull apart the bed, telling viewers she would "do a demonstration in the shop 'cause I'm not gonna give them $50 of my money".

"F**k them. They keep copying my products," she continued, adding that the foam pet bed available at ALDI was a lighter weight, didn't feature the original protective covering, and used a noticeably "thinner" fabric.

"The first thing you notice is it's super light, it's probably about 600 grams, so really easy for your dog to latch on and rip it up," she said.

"There's no protective covering on the foam, so saliva and pee, any kind of dirt is going to seep right through.

"It's not memory foam, it's just normal regular foam, and the fabric is so thin, like a plush material, the stuff cheap toys are made from."

@julia.sakr As the owner and designer of Barney Bed i think im most qualified to give a review on the cheap copycat Aldi version. #aldidogbed #dogbed #barneybed #bestdogbed #aussiebusiness #copycat #mydog ♬ original sound - Julia Sakr

The responses from users online were mixed, with one comment pointing out that in a cost-of-living crisis, the cheaper option was the only one some could afford.

"Girl please, we're in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Your beds are for high-income people, poor people deserve a stylish bed for their doggos too," they wrote. "This style of dog bed is everywhere [at the moment]."

To that, Julia Sakr replied: "I respect people have budgets, [but] this video is about a multinational [company] copying my bed and making it with cheap materials. I didn't do a video on ALL cheap beds. Petbarn has heaps that [are] not the same as mine."

The entrepreneur later told news.com.au why she felt inclined to make a video reviewing the product.

"I was sent so many links to a video titled 'Barney Bed dupe' so I decided to go check it out and film a video about it," she said.

"I addressed it publicly because I wanted to highlight how big multinational chains often 'copy' designs of small businesses for mass production. My intention was to initiate a conversation about the broader implications of design copying and encourage consumers to consider the impact of their purchasing decisions on small businesses and the creative industry as a whole."

She said that her orthopedic bed "will last for years and not lose its shape", and that her decision to create a supportive mattress for pets was "motivated by a personal need and a passion for improving the lives of dogs and their owners".

Feature Image: TikTok @julia.sakr, @barneybed.