About

Trying To Buy The Yellow Divider is a TikTok challenge started by TikToker @neekynooky in August 2022 in which one has to successfully trick the grocery store clerk in order to buy the conveyor belt divider used to separate groceries during checkout. This involves hiding the divider in food items and products, among other tactics. Neekynooky tried buying the yellow divider multiple times at the same Publix store, following a Day 1 of trying, Day 2 of trying, Day 3 of trying and so on format. Other creators latched onto the trend with some purportedly succeeding before neekynooky.

Origin

On August 10th, 2022, TikToker^[1] neekynooky posted a video in which he tried to buy the yellow divider at Publix for the first time. He used the text-to-speech function to say "Day 1 of trying to buy the yellow divider… God damn it." Over the course of three weeks, the viral video received roughly 10.6 million plays and 1.8 million likes (shown below).

Spread

When grocery day came again on August 16th, 2022, TikToker^[2] neekynooky posted his "Day 2" video of trying to but the yellow divider, this time switching up the orientation of it. Over the course of two weeks, the video received roughly 1.7 million plays and 212,100 likes (shown below, left). On August 17th, 2022, TikToker^[3] nottooevil posted their own "Trying To Buy The Yellow Divider" video, also not succeeding at Publix but earning roughly 22,600 plays and 1,100 likes in two weeks (shown below, right).

On August 21st, 2022, TikToker^[4] neekynooky posted a self-referential video that followed the Me If X Becomes Illegal trend in which he's in the back of a cop car as if, "trying to buy the yellow divider from Publix was illegal." Over the course of ten days, the video received roughly 622,000 plays and 23,500 likes (shown below, left). Also on August 24th, TikToker^[5] neekynooky posted his "Day 4" video of trying to buy the yellow divider, getting more creative with his tactics by hiding it in a bunch of bananas, however, neekynooky's attempt was unsuccessful. Over the course of ten days, the video received roughly 17.7 million plays and 3.5 million likes (shown below, right).

As TikToker neekynooky became more creative with his tactics, so did others who allegedly purchased grocery store dividers before him. For instance, on August 28th, 2022, TikToker^[6] chandler.sheldon posted a video that allegedly showed the clerk putting the divider into his grocery bag, earning roughly 11.7 million plays and 1.8 million likes in three days (shown below).

Reposts of neekynooky's TikToks surfaced on Instagram and YouTube ^[7] in August 2022 as well. For instance, on August 30th, 2022, Instagram^[8] user i_have_no_memes96_v2 reposted neekynooky's "Day 6" video, earning roughly 65,200 likes in one day.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References