How brands can win in "little treat" culture

We all know how millennials looooove a “little treat.”

A matcha here, a Labubu there. A $20 Erewhon smoothie. It’s like a reward. For, you know, the horrors. But did you know this little treat culture we’ve created actually stems from a much deeper place? A place of economic despair and spiralling, babes. Cute!

Millennials were the first generation to start getting locked out of the housing market, which ironically left us with a fair bit of disposable income. So in the absence of being able to fulfil our white picket fence dreams, we created categories of “aspirational lifestyle brands” to splurge our hard-earned dollars on.

Skincare from La Mer, cookware from Le Creuset, luggage sets from Carl Friedrik. All stupidly expensive, albeit justifiable, right? That was, until the cost-of-living crisis.

Now? Even the small things we substituted for homeownership feel out of reach.

And what’s a hard-working girl to do??? Not reward herself??? Not get through the week without a nice little luxury distraction? I think tf not. The balm? The “little treat.”

A small, affordable everyday luxury to help us push on through. Persist. Not thrive, but at the very least, survive.

It could be a pastry + coffee combo from your fave little French place on the corner. It could be a mani/pedi. It could be a fuzzy little monster hanging off your bag, creating worldwide early-Bieber-level obsession.

Why? Because splurging on small things has become a way of asserting control in a world that feels like it’s spiralling tf out.

So, what does this mean for brands?

It means there’s a golden window to become part of these micro-luxury rituals. To earn your spot in the weekly serotonin line-up.

So, here’s how brands can enter (and win in) the “little treat” economy:

1. Price like a treat, not a commitment

Position your product at an “I deserve this” price point. That magical space between $5 and $50 where a customer doesn't have to consult their partner, their budget spreadsheet, or the ghost of Suze Orman.

2. Package joyfully, market emotionally

Little treats are as much about how they make you feel as what they are. Your unboxing, scent, colour palette, and copywriting need to say: “You earned this.”

3. Anchor it to the bigger burnout

Don't just sell the product, sell the pause. Market your oat milk chocolate bar, body scrub, or tarot sticker pack as an act of self-preservation. One tiny rebellion against the grind.

4. Make it collectible or shareable

Think seasonal drops, collabs, or playful design tweaks that make your product feel like it could start a group chat. You’re not merely selling a treat. You’re selling identity in bite-sized form.

5. Get in the habit loop

The treat economy isn’t a one-time thing. It’s weekly, even daily. Brands that make themselves part of a ritual (Sunday reset, payday splurge, Monday pick-me-up) will win on repeat purchases and loyalty.

It sounds manipulative. I’m aware. But really, that’s kinda what we’re in the business of.

So if your product gives a hit of delight, a flicker of fun, or the illusion that the world isn’t on fire… lean in. Because we may not own property, but we’ll own 12 variations of the same lip oil in limited edition packaging.

And that, my darlings, is opportunity wrapped in a tiny tube of late stage capitalism.

-Sophie Randell, Writer