Feeling down? Let's go shopping!

Having a tough day? Maybe a little shopping will help. Retail therapy, the practice of shopping to improve one's mood, has long been described as a guilty pleasure. The name retail therapy is ironic in that shopping hardly qualifies as true therapy in the medical or psychological sense. However the impulse to head for the store, or nowadays a smartphone app when feeling down, is neither illogical nor irrational. Retail therapy it is a complex psycho‑economic response that blends emotion regulation, identity construction, and cultural norms. Negative emotions such as sadness and anxiety activate the brain's stress circuitry, raising cortisol and dampening dopamine. Shopping can send a counter‑signal. Visual novelty, anticipated ownership, and brand cues stimulate reward thought patterns. Add the tactile response to fabrics or the ding of an online confirmation and there can be a multi‑sensory dopamine rush that can briefly lift one's mood. Retail therapy restores a sense of control. When life feels chaotic, shopping is a low‑stakes decision where the shopper is in control. Psychologists call these micro‑victories. These are minor, self‑directed successes that rebuild competence. The high is short‑lived, which explains repeated shopping excursions. Purchases serve social and symbolic functions. Brands carry narratives and selecting them broadcasts identity claims for the customer. Posting purchases on social media invites affirmation that amplifies good feelings. "We live in a world of instant gratification and marketers know that people seek quick wins, and impulse purchases where there is no waiting, no thinking, just click and feel better or throw it in your cart and use immediately" according to Kellie McGilvray, Professor of Marketing at Tiffin University. For an estimated five to eight percent of adults, shopping becomes compulsive, leading to debt and guilt. Warning signs of excess shopping include hiding receipts, feeling unable to stop, and chasing an ever shorter high. One study indicated that 33% of shoppers surveyed had a "high level of addiction to rash or unnecessary consumption." Planned shopping trips are safer than impulsive shorter indulgences. Experts suggest creating self-imposed rules for shopping such as spending journals or only paying with cash to slow down the process. Research found that individuals who shop to cope with negative emotions are more likely to become compulsive buyers and hoard fashion items. This more likely if they have certain personality traits like high self-esteem, narcissism or a negative disposition. Personalization of online shopping has increased both temptation and risk. Push notifications, buy now, pay later plans, and scarcity countdowns can trigger a buying binge. Experts recommend guidelines for regulating the amount of shopping someone is doing. First, set an emotional budget. Identify the feeling that is inducing the desire to shop and ask whether a purchase truly addresses it. Something other than shopping may end the urge to shop. Next, experts recommend buying experience-enabling items. These are products used to create experiences. Examples are books or new walking shoes. These are items that deliver longer satisfaction as opposed to pure status goods that create a shorter high. Finally, do not use shopping to cover up negative feelings. Purchases should be made to celebrate achievements, not to mask unresolved problems. Retail therapy is often looked at as a reflection of modern life. It is a swift shot of activity and pleasure in an uncertain world. It can used as a mood booster and form of self‑expression. We use retail therapy for fulfillment, diversion, and for what is perceived as a good cause," McGilvray said. "It's more positive than negative, but at the end of the day, don't we just end up throwing most of it away? And then we start the consumer circle all over again." Perry Haan is Professor of Marketing at Tiffin University. He can be reached at haanpc@tiffin.edu.