Haul Nation

Why Consuming ’Til Collapse Has Become Gen Z’s Love Language

by Merle Sophie Schaffers

Scroll through TikTok or Instagram and you will inevitably encounter a haul video: young people unpacking not just ultra-cheap Shein or Temu clothes, but also Zara and H&M picks, thrifted designer finds, luxury sneakers and rare vintage “grails.” Cheap or expensive, every purchase is framed as a performance. What was once seen as compulsive or excessive shopping is now aestheticized and celebrated. The normalization of shopping addiction among Gen Z is not simply harmless fun — it is a cultural problem with ethical and ecological consequences.

Retail Therapy or Addiction Loop?

Retail therapy is widely marketed as self-care: “Treat yourself,” “You deserve it!” Research shows that Gen Z often turns to shopping to cope with stress, uncertainty or social pressure. Surveys in Germany and across Europe highlight that purchases are framed as small rewards, mood boosters, or ways to manage anxiety in a turbulent economy (Deloitte 2025). Studies on Instagram-driven purchases reveal that such impulsive buying, whether cheap or expensive, is not spontaneous at all, but algorithmically engineered (Djafarova & Bowes 2021). Using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model: Instagram posts, influencer content, as well as user-generated material act as stimuli that evoke positive emotions, which trigger impulsive purchases, particularly among females. Around 41% of Gen Z are classified as impulsive buyers, higher than Millennials (34%) or Gen X (32%) (Djafarova & Bowes, 2021). This demonstrates that fashion consumption within Gen Z is not only immediate and emotionally driven, but also systematically amplified by digital platforms.

Social Pressure and Digital Visibility

In the digital sphere, clothing is social currency at any price point. Likes, views, and followers become the reward for the next haul. As Wojdyla & Chi (2024) argue, peer influence, trend alignment and visibility are major predictors of Gen Z purchasing behaviour. German social commerce studies confirm that over half of users start a fashion purchase via Instagram or TikTok (Simon-Kucher & Partners 2025). Shopping is performed for visibility, reinforcing the feedback loop where consumption equates to cultural relevance.

The Hidden Costs

The aestheticization of shopping addiction masks its real costs. Each item, from 5€ tops to 400€ thrifted jackets, represents environmental impact and labour exploitation. Fast-fashion production, luxury supply chains and global shipping all contribute to carbon emissions and resource depletion (Vara 2022). Helena Dimmel reports that haul videos frame overconsumption as entertaining content, masking these harms (Dimmel 2022). Even German media like n-tv warn that compulsive shopping has effects on our mental health – from guilt and anxiety to depression (n-tv.de 2025).

The Sustainability Paradox

Gen Z is often labeled as the sustainable generation, but evidence shows a deep contradiction. While surveys highlight Gen Z’s concern for climate change (Deloitte 2025), their consumption patterns, perpetuates environmental and social harm. Luxury, vintage or high-end thrift does not automatically equate to sustainability. Transportation, production, and resell hype all have ecological costs.

Breaking the Normalization

If shopping addiction is now cultural mainstream, how do we break its normalization? One inspiring counter-movement is the capsule wardrobe. Instead of endless collection, it promotes intentional curation: a limited number of clothes and durable pieces that resist the churn of micro-trends. In a three-week capsule wardrobe experiment, participants reported feeling less stressed, less pressured by trends and more aware about conscious consumption (Bardey et al. 2022). For a generation overwhelmed by choice as well as targeted by algorithmic persuasion, adopting capsule principles could be a form of resistance – and a path toward mindful consumption.

Photo by Merle Sophie Schaffers

 Bibliography:

Bardey, A., Booth, M., Heger, G., & Larsson, J. (2022). Finding yourself in your wardrobe: An exploratory study of lived experiences with a capsule wardrobe. Journal of Consumer Culture, 22(3), 611–632. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470785321993743

Deloitte. (2025). Gen Z and Millennial survey – Germany. Deloitte. https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-zone2/de/de/docs/services/consulting/2025/Deloitte_2025_GenZ_Millennial_Survey.pdf

Dimmel, H. (2022, September 26). Shein-Hauls auf TikTok sind ein Trend direkt aus der Fast-Fashion Hölle. BuzzFeed Austria. https://www.buzzfeed.at/buzz/popkultur/shein-hauls-tiktok-trend-fast-fashion-problem-greenwashing-sustainability-91243730.html

Djafarova, E., & Bowes, T. (2021). “Instagram made me buy it”: Generation Z impulse purchases in the fashion industry. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, 102345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102345

n‑tv.de. (2025, September 22). Ab wann Shoppen zur Krankheit wird. n‑tv. https://www.n-tv.de/wissen/Ab-wann-Shoppen-zur-Krankheit-wird-article25671022.html

Simon-Kucher & Partners. (2025, August 26). Social commerce in der Mode: Potenzial bleibt ungenutzt – jede zweite Person bricht den Kauf ab. Cision News. https://news.cision.com/de/simon-kucher—partners/r/social-commerce-in-der-mode–potenzial-bleibt-ungenutzt—jede-zweite-person-bricht-den-kauf-ab,c4214073

Vara, V. (2022, May 4). Fast, cheap, and out of control: Inside Shein’s sudden rise. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/fast-cheap-out-of-control-inside-rise-of-shein/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Wojdyla, W., & Chi, T. (2024). Decoding the fashion quotient: An empirical study of key factors influencing U.S. Generation Z’s purchase intention toward fast fashion. Sustainability, 16(12), 5116. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125116

Bio:

Merle Sophie Schaffers is currently pursuing her MA in Fashion Management at AMD – Akademie Mode & Design in Hamburg, following her BA in Fashion Journalism and Communication at the same institution. Originally from Düsseldorf, she broadened her academic and cultural horizons during a semester abroad at Toronto Metropolitan University, gaining valuable intercultural insights. Combining her expertise in journalism, PR, marketing, graphic design and project management, she merges creative thinking with strategic skills, bringing versatility and a global perspective to the fashion and communication industries.