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January sales: The Most Haul – Worthy High Street Brands on TikTok Revealed

06-02-2025   


New research has identified which UK high street clothing brands create the most buzz on TikTok, based on how frequently they appear in online ‘hauls’ – with H&M crowned top. 

The findings, pulled together by advertising platform illumin, analysed the 50 most-viewed TikToks related to clothing hauls to identify which brands came out on top, which products were featured most frequently, and how much the average creator spent. 

The analysis also pulled the price of all clothing items featured across the videos tagged #haul and calculated a per-product average to name the most affordable shops. 

A fashion haul on TikTok refers to a collection of clothing items and accessories that a creator has purchased at one time and is showing to their followers to share their fashion taste, promote the featured products, or show off their shopping prowess. 

With the January sales in full swing, it also offers insight into which high-street stores will likely see the most foot traffic this year, thanks to creators’ popular #haul videos. 

Of the high street brands that appeared in the hauls, H&M was mentioned most frequently, accounting for more than two-fifths (43%) of the products featured in the videos. The brand also boasted some of the most affordable items, with an average cost of £20.11 per product. 

The store’s popularity is largely due to its affordability, as the brand’s per-item price (£20.11) across the hauls is an impressive 56% lower than the TikTok #haul item average (£45.53). Of the H&M items featured, vest tops and mini skirts were the most popular products. 

Following H&M as the second most in-demand high-street brand was Cotton On, initially only available online in the UK before moving into Typo stores. The store’s clothing products accounted for 21.6% of all items featured in the most-watched hauls. 

Affordability is likely also behind Cotton On’s popularity, as it boasts the cheapest per-item cost of any high-street brand at £10.77. The most-bought item was crop tops. 

Rounding out the top three most popular high-street shops was Zara, accounting for more than 1 in 10 (10.8%) of featured products. The brand is better for less budget-conscious shoppers, as it reports an average per-item price of £38.74. 

The ten most popular high-street shops in TikTok hauls 

 High-Street ShopsProportion of Items in #HaulsAverage Cost Per Product
1H&M43.2%£20.11
2Cotton On21.6%£10.77
3Zara10.8%£38.74
4Adidas5.4%£53.75
5Hollister5.4%£18.00
6Victoria’s Secret5.4%£35.50
7Champion2.7%£65.00
8Forever 212.7%£12.64
9Lululemon2.7%£88.00
10Urban Outfitters2.7%£38.00

On average, creators spent £77.99 per haul, with the most expensive brand featured coming out as Lululemon, with a per-item cost of £88 – 93% higher than the #haul average (£45.53). The most popular clothing item was tops, while the least popular was pyjamas. 

As well as looking at bricks-and-mortar stores, the analysis revealed which online brands prove the most popular in TikTok hauls – with SHEIN named the nation’s favourite. SHEIN boasted an even lower per-item price than Cotton On, at just £9.33 for each product. 

The five most popular online shops in TikTok hauls 

 High-Street ShopsProportion of Items in #HaulsAverage Cost Per Product
1SHEIN41£9.33
2Amazon2£20.64
3ASOS1£36.00
4Misspap1£12.00
5Princess Polly1£88.00

Speaking on the findings, an illumin spokesperson said: “As the January sales hit, many consumers will be influenced by what they see on TikTok and will prioritise shopping at the platform’s popular stores, so it’s interesting to see which prove the most popular.

“However, it’s important to remember that hauls aren’t typically representative of the average person’s shopping habits. Don’t feel pressured to purchase multiple items if they’re outside your budget or feel like you need to buy products you don’t like due to their popularity online. And be wary of whether a product is talked-about online because it’s actually good or because influencers have been paid to promote it.

“Tops are far more versatile than dresses and ‘bottoms’ since they can be mixed, matched, and accessorised differently. It makes sense that tops are the most popular clothing item in #hauls as it signifies a shift in consumption culture towards pieces that have more versatility.” 

Intro image courtesy of H&M by David Thunander




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