Videos of influencers flaunting their spending power by buying tens of millions of won worth of luxury bags and shoes once drew large audiences on YouTube. The mood has shifted. As inflation squeezes household budgets, content that highlights affordable but well-made products, or that shows viewers how to make better use of what they already own, is drawing attention instead.
ABC News reported on the 10th that influencer content has changed direction as economic conditions shifted sharply after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the late 2010s, "$10,000 haul" videos — in which creators bought large quantities of expensive clothing and luxury goods at once and showed them off — were popular on YouTube. A haul refers to content in which a creator presents everything purchased in a single shopping trip. Ten thousand dollars is about 13.42 million won.
Interest has now moved away from content built on conspicuous spending toward content about practical purchases. In a survey released July 23 by the Pew Research Center, a U.S. polling organization, only about 24% of Americans rated current economic conditions as excellent or good. Two-thirds, or 66%, said they were concerned about rising prices for groceries and household necessities. ABC News said the public has begun losing interest in content centered on overspending as living costs climb.
75 Outfits Without Buying Clothes
Influencers are showing how to get more use out of less, rather than buying expensive items. Mandy Lee, who has about 900,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, ran a challenge to put together 75 outfits from her existing wardrobe over 75 days without buying anything new. About 70,000 people joined in. The idea of using clothes already on hand more creatively, and rethinking spending habits, resonated with viewers.
A similar shift is under way in beauty. Shelby Ann Bell, a wedding makeup artist with about 2.5 million TikTok followers, drew a strong response by demonstrating makeup routines built around inexpensive products easily found at drugstores.
Some influencers are using their professional training to find cheaper substitutes for costly products. Pooja Jain, who holds master's degrees in biomedical science and biotechnology and has worked in the pharmaceutical industry, analyzes the ingredients in high-end beauty products and then identifies lower-priced items containing similar key ingredients. Her explanations of what each ingredient actually does have also attracted a wide following.
ABC News said more influencers are likely to emerge to help budget-constrained consumers as economic conditions keep changing.
A similar pattern is taking shape in South Korea. Content introducing products that deliver results comparable to premium goods at relatively low prices is easy to find on social media.
Demand for low-priced beauty products is also growing. Estimated purchases of Daiso beauty products over the 12 months through March of this year totaled 361.96 billion won, according to Embrain purchase data, up 39.6% from the same period a year earlier.
