The latest shopping trend? Not shopping

Americans fed up with the shop-until-you-drop mentality are trying to make living with less trendy.

Americans fed up with the shop-‘til-you-drop mentality are trying to make living with less trendy. Influencers on social media often peddle lifestyles or products to followers, urging them to buy new clothing, high-tech cleaning gadgets or the hottest new haircare product. But some people say they have become disillusioned with what they perceive as pressure to constantly purchase new things. Enter underconsumption core, or a lifestyle that involves using just a small rotation of things for years rather than chasing the latest trend. Underconsumption influencers show items they say they have used for years — towels inherited from parents, makeup collections featuring just a few products, second-hand furniture bought at thrift shops — and don’t plan to purchase more until those things are spent. “It’s really pushing back against this idea that you need to constantly be buying things to have a happy and fulfilling life,” said Megan Doherty Bea, assistant professor of consumer science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Searches for “underconsumption core” grew by more than 4,250% over the past 12 months as of Friday, according to Google Trends data, which compares relative popularity of search terms based on when and where those queries were made. Users are posting videos on TikTok showing off their underconsumption core lifestyles, with many receiving hundreds of thousands of likes. Experts say the underconsumption core trend isn’t just about maintaining a budget or wanting to get rid of stuff. Many consumers are tired of feeling like they have to emulate an unattainable lifestyle. At the same time, they’re looking to minimize their carbon footprint.