Is shopping therapeutic?

12 Aug, 2020 - 11:08 0 Views
Is shopping therapeutic?

The Sunday Mail

Consumer Watch with Marjorie Chiremba

Feeling a bit under the weather?  Well, shopping at the spur of the moment is incredible!

Shopping is absolutely fabulous when you have the resources and means.

Never listen to those who brand it as negative and materialistic.

Since time immemorial shopping has always been a pretty standard way of life.

We all shop from time to time and have different reasons why we purchase certain goods and services. Sometimes we buy goods because we really need to use them or because they are on sale.

However, some customers’ decision to shop is quite discretionary and based on their mood of the day.

For example, a customer can make a purchase decision right after receiving good news as a way of celebrating.

A purchase after sad news may be done to comfort or soothe the mood of the customer.

I have witnessed customers that buy intoxicating beverages and consume them in the name of drinking their sorrows away.

The way we do our shopping is also quite unique from the next person.

There are customers who prefer to do window shopping first before they make the final decision to purchase.

In marketing, such a client is said to be at the information gathering stage.

Such customers spend a considerable amount of time visiting different shops physically or online, all in the name of price comparisons.

Customers also take time before they reach a purchase decision, especially for products and services meant for special occasions.

There are other customers who shop at the spur of the moment without going through the rigorous process of browsing a thousand sites for the best prices or moving from one shop to another.

For them, it is time consuming and they care less about price bargains.

Instead, it is their mood on that particular day that determines the purchasing behaviour.

However, we all go through some hurdles in life and it is at the lowest moments in life that we seek to find things that uplift our spirits and mood.

One such thing that has proved therapeutic for some customers is shopping.

This type of shopping is sometimes referred to as retail therapy.

Right now, in Zimbabwe, customers are under a lot of stress due to socio-economic issues.

Retail therapy is often criticised for promoting unnecessary spending.

But, a study by some American researchers in 2011 dismissed this notion.

Instead, the study actually revealed that customers that indulge in retail therapy normally do not usually spend above budget.

Retail therapy is also said to be the wonder pill for depression.

I have heard of so many people who treat themselves to some good holidays after a sad event.

This is their form of escape from a sad situation to a place where they can relax and detoxify.

Interestingly, customers that believe in the healing powers of shopping do not regret their decisions.

They actually consider it as a guilty pleasure.

Retail therapy gives them some form of control.

In retail therapy, these impromptu shopping trips are beneficial mentally as they tend to divert the customer’s mind from the daily stresses of life.

When I was at university a certain friend of mine always took shopping trips to South Africa after every semester examination. According to her, shopping was her way of dealing with post-examination stress, and it worked for her.

Retail therapy is also said to boost customer confidence.

This confidence is usually exhibited better in fashion sense.

When customers purchase a piece of apparel that they feel suits them, they tend to exude a certain aura of confidence.

This type of confidence usually gives birth to focus and concentration.

For instance, a 2012 study from the Kellogg School of Management in Northwestern University (US) found that subjects wearing new white jackets outperformed their peers.

Retail therapy, however, is two-sided. Next week I will unpack its negative aspects.

 Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. For comments and suggestions, she can be reached on [email protected] or on 0712 979 461

 

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