Why Gen Z Still Loves a Good Haul (Even When Everyone Else Claims They Don't)
· Paige Karchmar · Trends / Marketing
While headlines claim Black Friday is dying, TikTok tells a different story. Gen Z isn't abandoning the shopping tradition. We're remixing it into something better: aesthetic, authentic, and deeply personal. Here's why hauls aren't going anywhere.
I spent a good part of the weekend watching Black Friday hauls on TikTok. And while Bloomberg, WSJ, CNN, and other media reported that shoppers were "underwhelmed and unimpressed," the young people on my feed looked anything but.
This creates a weird little paradox: The official story says Black Friday is dying… while TikTok says it's absolutely alive.
So what's the truth? Maybe it's this: Black Friday isn't dying. It's changing, and Gen Z is leading the remix.
Gen Z's Version of Black Friday
Older shoppers may be tired of wrestling someone's grandma for a TV at 5 a.m., but Gen Z's idea of Black Friday is different:
- Shopping in bed while still in PJs
- Comparing 19 different reviews in 30 seconds
- Watching micro-influencers test things so we don't waste money
- Going to actual stores only if the mirror lighting is good
- Treating the whole experience like a content opportunity, not a chore
We Don't Want a Doorbuster. We Want an Aesthetic.
Previous generations made Black Friday chaotic; Gen Z made it… a vibe.
We want a deal and a story. We want the unboxing, the try-on, the "do I keep this or return it?" honesty.
What This Means for Small Businesses
Gen Z spends differently — and small businesses have a massive advantage here. They can offer the kind of warmth, personality, and authenticity that giant brands simply cannot fake.
- We buy based on community: Most of us would rather support a small business with a cute brand story than a giant corporation with a marketing department the size of a stadium.
- We shop where the vibes feel real: A handmade candle on TikTok presented by the owner beats 50% off at a store with bad lighting.
- We like things that feel curated, not mass-produced: We're not anti-consumerist — we're anti-boring.
- We care about what creators say: Micro-influencers (even ones with 3,000 followers) can sell out a product faster than a billboard on a highway.
- We share the experience: If a purchase isn't "post-worthy," it's missing half the value.
College Students: The Maximum-Value Generation
We're broke… but we have taste. We're tired… but we scroll like it's a sport. We want good deals… but won't buy ugly things, even at half off.
Black Friday hauls hit differently when you're trying to decorate a dorm, revamp your style, or fix your entire life for under $30. Watching other students share finds feels like a shortcut to being more put together. It's crowdsourced adulthood.
The Real Reason Hauls Haven't Died
They make us feel connected.
A haul is basically someone saying: "Here's what I bought. Here's what I'm trying to be. Does anyone else feel like this too?"
Gen Z loves that vulnerability. We love aspirational messiness. We love watching someone else's cart and thinking, Ohhh I might need that too.
The hauls aren't about the items — they're about the identity behind them. (Which is why they fit PERFECTLY into the Spin Stream universe.)
Black Friday isn't dead. Shopping isn't dead. Hauls aren't dead.
The old version is dead. The new version is handmade, aesthetic, creator-driven, and deeply Gen Z.
And honestly? It's way more fun this way.