These Viral TikTok Trends Cleared Store Shelves
Many of us are guilty of impulse buys based on what we see on social media, and the new-kid-on-the-block social networking platform TikTok has the ability to sway real-life purchasing. In a brief video, one TikTok star can create a trend and clear a product off the shelves. Numerous products have seen sales booms after exploding on TikTok, encompassing everything from lipstick to chicken sandwiches. The next big "craze"? The humble butter bell, something you've probably had sitting on your counter for decades.
Related: Craziest Marketing Stunts of All Time
It's always so cute when Gen Z "discovers" something that's been around for decades. And so it goes with butter bells, which have recently gone viral on TikTok, mystifying the uninitiated with their ability to keep butter fresh and spreadable, no refrigeration required. Despite many commenters' alarm at the potential growth of bacteria or mold, others claim they're rushing out to snap up the old-school kitchen accessory.
Related: 24 Kitchen Accessories You Didn't Know You Needed
Black Honey, a Clinique lipstick that was introduced back in 1971, is at its most popular thanks to the latest viral beauty trend. The hashtag #blackhoney has garnered almost 32 million TikTok views, where teens have caught on to the classic, versatile lip shade. The $20 tube is so difficult to keep in stock that Clinique has a waitlist for the product. Sign up, and the lipstick will be shipped to you when it's in stock — likely long after this trend fades.
Related: Apple, Lululemon, and Other Brands That Almost Never Go on Sale
Missing boba, the tasty, chewy tapioca balls added to beverages like bubble tea? TikTok and challenges go together like peanut butter and jelly. One craze known as the #bubbleteachallenge has blindfolded users trying to put a straw in the bubble tea cup on the first try. The trend started due to a promo by Emms2go, a dessert shop in Genk, Belgium, that promised customers a free bubble tea if they could complete the challenge on the first try. The first video, uploaded in April 2021, has millions of views. The hashtag took off, with over 60 million views among all videos.
The result? You may need to wait for the bubbles in your boba tea. Due to a worker shortage, the industry can't keep up with demand.
For more great shopping guides and lifestyle tips, please sign up for our free newsletters.
Feta cheese became scarce when a feta pasta recipe went viral on TikTok in February 2021. Using tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and feta, the recipe has users bake the block of cheese, then adding cooked pasta.
The straightforwardly delicious recipe went viral and spurred a demand for the cheese. It's no wonder stores ran out: the hashtag #fetapasta has 1.1 billion views and #bakedfetapasta has over 155 million.
Last spring, TikTok went bonkers for the cleaning product The Pink Stuff. The goo, otherwise known as a cleaning paste, is used to clean grease, grime, and grit off of … well, just about everything. The manufacturer's website claims the product refreshes tiles, glass, showers, garden furniture, paintwork, and boats.
#thepinkstuff hashtag has more than 285 million views while #thepinkstuffpaste has drawn more than 15 million views.
The Pink Stuff became so popular that the product quickly sold out, and according to Epicurious, prices temporarily soared.
After influencers raved about the health properties of Chlorophyll Water, the brand quickly sold out. With #chlorophyllwater amassing some 176 million views, and #chlorophyll clocking in at over 415 million views, the small company's product has been flying off of shelves. The bottler of the water, which features a social media-friendly peridot hue, claims chlorophyll gives customers a healthy boost of Vitamins A, B12, C, and D.
Drugstore skincare brand CeraVe saw a boost in sales when TikTok users found and shared its product line last summer. The #CeraVe tag presently has over 1.4 billion views, and its appearance on the app translated into sales, too.
If you're old enough to remember Beanie Babies, then this viral trend might feel familiar. Welcome to the era of the octopus plushie. With #octopusplush sitting at nearly 112 million views, it's fair to say the plushie is highly sought after on Amazon.
Related: 30 Collectibles That Are Now Worthless
TikTok fell in love with Nathan Apodaca, otherwise known as #oceansprayguy. After the video of Apodaca drinking the juice while riding a skateboard and listening to the Fleetwood Mac song "Dreams" went viral, stores saw a rush for the beverage. With the hashtag sporting 61 million views, there are plenty of copycat videos of users trying to catch the same chill vibe as Apodaca. The social media sensation also pushed "Dreams," originally released on the 1977 album "Rumours," back into the U.S. Top 40.
Related: Brand Mashups You Never Saw Coming
Inexpensive skin-care line The Ordinary's has been a fave due to the modern packaging and affordable cost. Searching for #theordinary brings up a whopping 1.1 billion views — but the real standouts are #theordinarypeelingsolution, with 19.5 million views and #theordinaryniacinamide, which holds an impressive 9.6 million views.
The views translated to sales, with the brand quickly selling out at retailers like Ulta and Sephora.
Related: We Asked Dermatologists: What Eye Creams Do You Recommend to Clients
The Seasum Leggings are all over TikTok, with the #tiktokleggings hashtag accumulating more than 759 million views. The leggings supposedly make the wearer's booty look fantastic — which was enough to send thousands of people to Amazon, credit card in hand.
As of this writing, they were listed as the No. 1 bestseller in the women's workout and training leggings category on Amazon, and some sizes and colors continue to be sold out.
At the height of shelter in place orders, the world seemed to rediscover the joys of baking. Enter: #pancakecereal. With a staggering 1.6 billion views, viewers flocked to the stores to recreate the breakfast dish, only to find shelves short on flour needed to make pancakes.
Related: Cream Cheese, Lumber, and Other Items That Vanished During the Pandemic
TikTok users fell head over heels for the moon lamp, a lamp which looks like … well … the moon. The hashtag has a not-too-shabby 27.8 million views, which was just enough to push the seams of the Amazon inventory.
Related: The Best Gifts for Night Owls of Every Possible Persuasion
The hype of great hair is often that: hype. But more than 190 million views on TikTok caused the #revlonhairdryerbrush to fly off of shelves. The hairbrush-dryer combo that TikTokers can't get enough of is seen by many as a great substitute for the hugely pricey Dyson AirWrap.
