Haul videos, a YouTube subculture in the 2010s, are enjoying somewhat of a comeback. And that’s all thanks to TikTok.

TikTok might be best known for its entertaining dance challenges, genius beauty hacks, and addictive cleaning reels, but the platform is also full of outfit inspo. The amount of people that flock to a platform like TikTok to get ideas as well as set up their own inspirational outfit videos is a lot, that is why they see how they can buy TikTok followers to bring up their engagement, as well as do collaborations with brands like Shein so they are more visible.

For the uninitiated, “hauling” means simply sharing your fashion buys with your followers online. Some top haulers have mastered the art and made this their careers, attracting lucrative brand deals.

During lockdown, the shopping craze hit a new high with online deliveries and social media the only way for people to get their fashion fix. TikTok’s #haul now has over 8.7 billion views!

But what brand tops the TikTok Haul of Fame?

The experts in online brand building at Rouge Media have analysed over 40 of the biggest high street and online fashion brands in the UK to find out. You can view the full results here.

Taking the top spot in the TikTok Haul of Fame is Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein, with over 2.5 billion #sheinhaul views and counting:

Despite the billion-dollar company being surrounded by controversary about its ownership and supply chain, Shein is a master at social media promotion, using a network of of-the-moment influencers to sell, sell, sell. And it seems to be the winning formula, inspiring its customers to share their own promotional content too.

Spanish retailer and UK high street staple, Zara comes in second place with an impressive 873.6 million views of its TikTok haul hashtag. Experts in brand loyalty, Zara famously spends very little on advertising and has always relied on high-quality social media content to keep it at the forefront of the fashion conscious.

Primark is a surprise third place in the TikTok Haul of Fame with 221.9 million views, bucking the trend with no online store. In 2020, the brick-and-mortar retailer was forced to close its doors, causing its monthly sales to dive from 650 million to 0.

But that didn’t stop the brand from growing its loyal fanbase online. During lockdown, Primark positioned its social channels as a go-to place for everything from fashion advice to boredom-busting baking recipes, keeping its customers engaged and whetted their appetite for when it threw its doors open again.

As is tradition with a Primark visit, customers end up leaving with more than they intended, so this style of shopping is perfectly suited to #Haul Tok.

Pretty Little Thing (owned by Boohoo Group) and Berksha (with the same parent company as Zara) make up the rest of the top five, with 91.1 million and 82.7 million views respectively.

Original online favourite ASOS just misses out on the top five, despite promoting a haul-style shopping experience by stocking over 850 brands and offering free returns. The brand has 76.2 million views on #asoshaul.

With over 8.7 billion views, TikTok has become the go-to place for those looking to share their best fashion buys.

However, there are signs the tide is turning amid growing criticism that hauls promote the fast-fashion cycle which is harming the planet and our bank balances.

In response, the hype is slowly moving away from mass consumption of fashion to so-called “slow fashion” which promotes more conscious purchasing decisions and pre-loved items.

There are also rising concerns over the addictive element of TikTok haul culture, with many users suffering from FOMO and relying on buy-now-pay-later services like Klarna to fund their buys. This is leaving a growing number of young people with spiralling debts and ruined credit scores.