How Groceries Are Turning Into Symbols Of Luxury Instead Of Accessible Sustenance
It’s no secret that weekly grocery shopping is putting an increased strain on households across the country. A recent study conducted by the financial technology SmartAsset, for instance, used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to assess how the prices of common buys like meat, eggs, and produce have shifted over the last year in 12 major metro areas.
“While prices of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products either increased or decreased depending on the location, eggs, meat, and poultry soared almost unanimously, reaching over 9% or higher than just a year before, tripling the general rate of inflation,” the study explained.
Sky-rocketing prices of everyday goods have pushed some shoppers to visit multiple grocery stores each week in search of better deals, while others are avoiding purchasing certain items, such as eggs, altogether.
Now, this wealth gap has seemingly prompted influencers and fashion brands to use groceries as symbols of luxury instead of accessible sustenance, as the ability to afford groceries (or even be wasteful with them) signifies a higher status in our economy.
This kind of “performative excess” has already been seen with athletic clothing brands like On and FILA. “Dune” star Zendaya, for instance, appeared in a futuristic On campaign where she posed next to a large bag labeled “cereal flakes” and later used it as a punching bag during a workout.
“Who would’ve thought cereal could become a new fashion trend?” asked one user on X in response to the campaign.
Similarly, back in February, Hailey Bieber shared a photo of herself wearing FILA garments while holding a paper bag and spilling groceries as part of a collaboration with the athleticwear company.
Fashion and food have historically been symbols of wealth, but given the state of inflation, fashion houses are apparently leaning into this trend more than ever. Additionally, celebrities and influencers are, too.
Consider how many videos you’ve seen on social media of content creators showing off their grocery hauls or intricately organized, packed-to-the-brim refrigerators.
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One TikToker who’s known for her food predictions even called out celebs like Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian for perpetuating performative foodcore online.
In January 2024, she posted on her account, @kfesteryga, to discuss how, as food becomes increasingly expensive, it is being “positioned as a luxury category.”
“So, what screams wealth and excess wealth more than having an excess of food that you are not even going to eat, that is particularly off-season, and it is now just tablescapes for your parties?” she asked.
The TikToker used a tablescape shared by Kim Kardashian on Instagram as one example. While at a dinner party, Kim snapped a photo of a dinner table with bountiful grapes, cherries, and roses displayed at the center.
“Looks amazing, but no one was eating this. It’s there just to show an abundance, quite literally,” she said.
Then, the TikToker turned her attention to Khloe Kardashian, who also posted a picture of a bouquet of flowers that she either received or ordered herself. The problem? The bouquet includes fresh-sliced oranges, which are “obviously not being eaten in any way, shape or form.”
“It is a bouquet that is sitting out on a table for show, and it is now including food that is going to go bad in a couple of days, cut up like this. This is not being consumed and is simply for people to look at and see,” she noted.
“Oranges were actually one of the largest food shortages last year in America, so like, not only is this just saying like, we have so much abundance. We have so much, you know, excess wealth that we are just having food out for show and have no plans to eat it to show you that we can, but we’re also going to use the most marked-up category of food that there is for this example.”
Other instances include a line of lip glosses released by the beauty brand Laneige that are shaped like KitchenAid mixers and the fact that major labels, such as Armani and Prada, are even venturing into the food space by opening their own restaurants and cafes.
“Consumables is the next biggest opportunity over the next five to 12 years as an entry point for premium to luxury brands. What we saw in spirits, fragrance, and skincare, you’ll soon start to see in consumables more frequently,” opined another X user.
It appears that, unless the price of groceries decreases, brands and A-listers alike will continue to intertwine food with their digital presence and overall image.
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