For over a month, social media has been buzzing with people proudly showcasing their scuffed, worn-out shoes they’ve kept since middle school, using every last drop of their makeup, and holding onto decades-old makeup pans inherited from their parents. They’re also reusing old mason jars instead of buying new food storage containers.
While this behavior might sound like something out of the Great Depression, it’s actually a trend that’s been gaining traction all summer under the hashtag “underconsumption core.”
Surprisingly, it’s younger people in their 20s and 30s who are embracing this lifestyle. The trend makes perfect sense considering they’ve grown up surrounded by cheap, disposable products.
Take fast fashion as an example. H&M and Zara perfected the fast fashion model in the 1990s, offering the latest styles at rock-bottom prices that consumers could wear a few times before discarding.
To achieve this, brands had to use cheaper materials and skimp on quality. This strategy was so successful that the entire fashion industry followed suit, from Walmart to Gap to Urban Outfitters. By the time millennials and Gen Z were growing up, fast fashion was the norm.
But it’s not just fashion. Ikea pioneered fast furniture, which also involved using the cheapest materials to create items meant to last only a few years instead of a lifetime.
Today, Wayfair and Amazon offer similar value propositions with their home goods. Unfortunately, there’s very little on the market designed to last anymore.
Brands continue producing low-quality products because they’ve been doing it for decades, and they fear that shifting to higher-quality, more expensive goods would cause them to lose out to competitors.
Environmental activists and sustainability journalists have long argued that this disposable lifestyle is harmful to the planet.
Producing vast quantities of products generates significant carbon emissions, contributing to global warming. When consumers are done with these products, most end up in landfills, further exacerbating environmental problems.
Some advocates of “underconsumption core” on TikTok and Instagram emphasize that owning less is better for the environment. However, many are simply fed up with poorly made products that don’t last. “I see it as celebrating products that have served me well over a long period of time,” says TikTok user chloeisag.
Others are tired of brands constantly pressuring them to buy something new when what they have is perfectly adequate. “I think it’s a reaction to the constant overconsumption that is pushed on us,” says a user named Sabrina.
As I’ve previously written, companies are usually very responsive to shifts in consumer behavior because their financial success hinges on staying in tune with trends. The “underconsumption core” trend has enjoyed an unusually long lifespan for an internet trend, continuing to gain traction for months.
Brands, take heed. Consumers appear to be weary of the status quo. Companies that pivot toward creating more durable products made from higher quality materials will distinguish themselves in a market saturated with low-quality goods.
Many consumers are eager for products built to last and are willing to pay a premium for them. The ball is in your court.
