Sam's Club Sells a Cheap Anthropologie Cabinet Dupe—Is It Just as Good?
This item could be your ticket to saving some serious money on a furniture purchase.
Finding the perfect piece of furniture for your home can become a massive disappointment if you discover it's way out of your budget. Even if it eventually goes on sale, the cost of a high-end item can be too steep to justify. Fortunately, there are other ways to get your hands on home items that look just like the designer version at a fraction of the cost. And according to some customers, this includes an Anthropologie cabinet dupe sold at Sam's Club for $2,000 cheaper. Read on to see if the experts think the item is worth picking up.
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Shoppers claim you can get a nearly identical Anthropologie cabinet dupe from Sam's Club.
Freestanding cabinets can be the perfect piece of furniture to freshen up your foyer, liven up your living room, or create a space for dishes in your dining room. Unfortunately, well-designed items from stores like Anthropologie often come with a high price tag that can put the relatively simple home upgrade out of your budget.
But if you're looking for a more affordable piece, shoppers on social media say you might still have an option. In a video posted on July 12, Instagram user "Brooke & the Brave Boys" gushes over the recently released Member's Mark Enzo Bookcase Storage Cabinet from Sam's Club. Despite looking similar, the supposed dupe retails for $599 compared to $2,698 for the Anthropologie version.
"Solid wood frame, gold hardware, and tempered glass windows, I'm highly impressed," she writes in the caption.
Other users have taken to the comments to air their support. One writes, "One more reason to get a Sam's Club membership," while another calls the item "a great buy and so pretty!"
RELATED: 6 Secrets Home Depot Doesn't Want You to Know.
Experts say the cheaper item does bear some similarities to the full-priced product.
And it's not just social media users that are gushing over the item. According to Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com, the Sam's Club bookcase is worth checking out based on price point alone.
"The bookcase is very similar to the Anthropologie piece at a much cheaper price point," she tells Best Life. "While the Enzo bookcase only has one color available, Anthropologie has six color options. But while that gives you more choices, you may be able to paint the Sam's Club bookcase a different color to match your aesthetic yourself as long as you don't mind putting in the work."
Others point out the two cabinets are undeniably similar. "The most attractive feature of the piece is the arch, and the arch in the dupe is very comparable in overall design to the original," says Courtney Wollersheim, an interior designer with Floor360.
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However, a few drawbacks to the cheaper piece can't be overlooked.
But even if picking up the cheaper version means you'll be saving some serious cash, buyers should consider some variations between the items before picking one up.
"It's not an exact dupe," Ramhold warns. "There are some differences in the styles, including the fact that the design of the Anthropologie bookcase is concealed within the glass doors entirely, whereas the Sam's Club bookcase only has glass doors on the upper portion and the bottom has rattan doors."
Wollersheim also adds that one feature the original has is the marble top of the hidden storage drawers that the dupe does not have, and that the cheaper option also has more visible hinges. "And dupes are typically constructed of lesser quality materials and likely more mass-produced, which can significantly decrease the overall quality and longevity of the piece," she cautions.
However, Ramhold says the biggest problem with the Sam's Club bookcase is that its sudden popularity has made it hard to find. "In my area, it's just not available at all," she says. "And based on reports from some social media posts, it's sold out online in general. So if you want to track down this more affordable piece, you'll likely have to visit your local Sam's Club and potentially even have to venture further out to other Sam's Club stores to find this furniture."
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You might want to see the items for yourself before deciding.
As with any online purchase, Ramhold points out that reading through customer reviews can be a huge help when determining whether an investment is worth the money. Unfortunately, while both have a similar average rating, a lack of responses on the Sam's Club item makes it more challenging to reach a conclusion in this case.
"Given the price point of nearly $3,000, it's not unreasonable to expect more from the Anthropologie piece. And even though there are fewer, the only complaints about the Sam's Club piece seem to be related to units that were damaged in transit, not outright defective," she says. "With the uncertainty, though, it seems that Sam's Club is definitely the wiser choice here—if you can find it."
Ultimately, Wollersheim agrees that even though the limited reviews make it difficult to decide, the number of "overwhelmingly positive" reviews might make it easier to justify the higher ticket item—especially thanks to available white glove delivery.
"While you may save money upfront, you may not get as many years of use out of it as you would with the more expensive but more well-made piece from Anthropologie," she says. "Overall, these two pieces provide the same benefits of form and function. It all depends on your budget and how long you want to live with the piece in your home."
