Phase or Forever? Toby’s Trends 2025 Mega Recap

December 30, 2025

36 min episode · 2 min read

Episode

36 min

Read time

2 min

AI-Generated Summary

Published Dec 30, 2025

Key Takeaways

✓Creatine resurgence: Supplement sales at Vitamin Shoppe surged 320% from 2019 to 2024, with women now comprising 30% of GNC creatine purchases versus 18% in 2020, driven by mental health research and influencer promotion.
✓Dubai chocolate phenomenon: TikTok video with 120 million views sparked global craze for pistachio-filled chocolate bars, pushing pistachio prices to $10 per pound (34% increase), with major brands like Hershey's, Trader Joe's, and IHOP launching versions.
✓Bar tab aversion: Gen Z increasingly closes tabs after each drink rather than keeping them open, creating friction for bartenders who absorb additional credit card swipe fees on every transaction while younger drinkers consume less alcohol overall.
✓Spicy food dominance: US restaurant chains launched 76 new spicy menu items from March to June, bringing 95% of restaurants to offer at least one spicy option, fueled by TikTok fire noodle challenges and mukbang content.

What It Covers

Morning Brew Daily reviews 2025's defining consumer trends across food, dining, fitness, and lifestyle, examining which behaviors represent lasting shifts versus temporary phases among Gen Z and younger demographics.

Key Questions Answered

•Creatine resurgence: Supplement sales at Vitamin Shoppe surged 320% from 2019 to 2024, with women now comprising 30% of GNC creatine purchases versus 18% in 2020, driven by mental health research and influencer promotion.
•Dubai chocolate phenomenon: TikTok video with 120 million views sparked global craze for pistachio-filled chocolate bars, pushing pistachio prices to $10 per pound (34% increase), with major brands like Hershey's, Trader Joe's, and IHOP launching versions.
•Bar tab aversion: Gen Z increasingly closes tabs after each drink rather than keeping them open, creating friction for bartenders who absorb additional credit card swipe fees on every transaction while younger drinkers consume less alcohol overall.
•Spicy food dominance: US restaurant chains launched 76 new spicy menu items from March to June, bringing 95% of restaurants to offer at least one spicy option, fueled by TikTok fire noodle challenges and mukbang content.

Notable Moment

Research tracking pedestrian behavior in major US cities found people walked 15% faster in 2010 compared to 1980, with fewer street interactions attributed to smartphone usage and rising opportunity costs in wealthier neighborhoods.

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