Inside Gen-Z’s bizarre new status symbol

Gen-Z has a bizarre new status symbol and it’s not a designer piece of clothing or an expensive accessory.

No, the last sign of influence is… expensive snacks.

That’s right, videos of influencers showing off their wildly expensive groceries have taken over TikTok in recent months, with some earning hundreds of dollars on basic snacks.

The high-end and controversial supermarket Erewhon is partly to thank for this trend.

The supermarket chain, with ten locations across Los Angeles, has recently become extremely popular online.

The store – which is loved by Justin Bieber, Gisele Bundchen, Brooklyn Beckham and the Kardashians and Jenners – wjust as intense ridiculed in the past for putting hefty price tags on everyday staples.

That’s right, videos of influencers showing off their wildly expensive groceries have taken over TikTok in recent months, with some earning hundreds of dollars on basic snacks

But now it seems like everyone on the internet is eager to get their hands on one of Erewhon’s $19 smoothies or some of its $50 soups.

And while celebrities shopping there have certainly contributed to Erewhon’s rise, it’s really the influencers who have made buying extremely expensive food the height of cool.

The constant videos shared by TikTok’s top stars seemed to drown out any backlash the brand ever faced.

Social media sensation Alix Earle posted video Last year, she talked about her “Erewhon transportation,” which consisted of a smoothie, a sandwich, buffalo cauliflower, and some chicken noodle soup, which she said in the comments section cost her almost $100.

TikTok star Nicole Bennett has a clamp of herself enjoying an “$85 lunch” from Erewhon in May.

She also got the buffalo cauliflower and smoothie, as well as a small scoop of macaroni and cheese and a few chicken tenders with turmeric.

An influencer known as Jasmine and Tea, who has more than a million followers on the app, documented her visit to the store in June, and she revealed she spent $204 on just seven items.

The high-end and controversial supermarket Erewhon is partly to thank for this trend. The supermarket chain has recently become extremely popular online

The store is loved by Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber, Gisele Bundchen (seen), Brooklyn Beckham and the Kardashians and Jenners, among others.

And while celebrities shopping there have certainly contributed to Erewhon’s rise, it’s really the influencers who have made buying extremely expensive food the height of cool.

‘It is a form of affordable prosperity. We are now exploring this phenomenon of food not as a basic need, but as a luxury experience,” says Andrea Hernández, a “snack expert.” Business insider recently about the phenomenon.

Earlier this month, McKinsey & Company published a study showing that Gen-Z’s top spending priority was groceries.

According to them, they interviewed 4,000 people BIon which categories they expect to spend the most this year, and food ranked highest for both millennials and Gen-Zers.

It beat restaurants, bars, travel, beauty, personal care, clothing and fitness.

FastCompany.com previously reported that Erewhon made $171.4 million in profits in 2023.

At the time, it also said the chain made $10.6 million from its smoothies alone – which featured collaborations with the likes of Hailey Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Bella Hadid, The Kid Laroi, Sofia Richie, Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian and Miranda Kerr. – and it sold about 40,000 a month.