For Barachie and shoppers like her, binge buying is usually an antidote to psychological stress. Kent State University behavioral economist Paul Albanese explains, “What the person is buying is not important; it’s the act of buying and the relationship with the salesperson that’s giving them relief from the severe anxiety they’re experiencing.” In addition, compulsive shoppers who are on the verge of making a purchase experience a “surge in brain chemicals,” according to April Lane Benson, author of I Shop, Therefore I Am. “It’s the anticipation of pleasure that starts the brain rolling. You can see physical symptoms. People might sweat or their heart races.” Despite their initial excitement, compulsive shoppers often feel ashamed of their purchases later and even hide them, Albanese adds.
Compulsive-buying disorder is a severe condition that can be financially and emotionally devastating for the people who suffer from it, as well as for their loved ones. However, cognitive behavioral therapy and groups like Debtors Anonymous can help curb a shopping addiction, so if you know someone who needs help in this regard, reach out.
Impulse Buyers
While compulsive shoppers are driven by psychological obsession, impulse buyers act on fleeting whims that usually don’t correspond with their retail needs. According to a 2000 survey by the Yankee Group, a couple of primary factors influence people’s decisions to make spontaneous purchases: 75 percent of the respondents cited specials and sale prices as incentives, and 49 percent were motivated by free shipping.
Despite the U.S. recession, a November 2009 ShopSmart magazine poll of adult women revealed that 60 percent of the respondents had bought something on impulse within the past year, and that 15 percent did so habitually. Supporting the Yankee Group’s findings, 42 percent of those women also said that they had made their purchase “because it was a great price or it was on sale.” Ironically, though, the average price of these items was a whopping $108. Maybe that explains why 35 percent of the respondents claimed to regret a spontaneous purchase they’d made in the past twelve months.
