If the thought of tuning into the TV news fills you with dread, you’re not alone. Let’s face facts; the current news agenda is pretty depressing. From the war in Ukraine to the cost-of-living crisis, the ever-present threat of global warming and the ongoing pandemic, it’s little wonder why people feel nostalgic for simpler times.

Gen Z shoppers, in particular, are finding comfort in an age when life was less problematic – the turn of the century.

As with so many other things in 2022, social media has influenced this trend. TikTok is leading the charge with content tagged Y2K, clocking up 6.1 billion views.

This trend has led to a massive spike in eBay searches for products that were popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Getting Nostalgic on eBay

eBay is reporting a 640% increase in the searches for “Y2K” products, with vintage fashions including metallic jackets, velour tracksuits, and vintage Von Dutch trucker hats proving incredibly popular. The online marketplace is also seeing a surge in interest in “grunge influenced” purchases, inspired by nostalgia for movies like Singles and bands like Pearl Jam. This is translating to searches for flannel shirts, band tees, destroyed denim, and Doc Martens.

This trend highlights two things:

Never underestimate the power of social media. When an army of social media influencers picks up a trend, sales of related products will quickly follow. Of course, you might not “get” social media. But even if you don’t regularly post to social channels (and you really should), it can be incredibly beneficial to try and keep up on trends linked back to your products.
Including popular search phrases in your eBay titles and descriptions will help more shoppers find you in eBay searches. For example, if you sell anything with a connection to the Y2K period, it might be a good idea to include this phrase in your eBay optimisation strategy.

Note: eBay makes it incredibly easy to add product images to various social media channels via the eBay app. This includes a recent integration with Snapchat.