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WARNING – Unhappy shoppers are prepared to pay more without even knowing!

Posted by Ruth Miller on Sat 16th February 2008 at 01:48 AM, Filed in Industry News

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I read a really interesting article just the other day all about how when we are sad we subconsciously lose control of our shopping habits and can actually pay over the odds for things, not to be confused with retail therapy which cheers us up when we are sad!

But more alarmingly, our judgment of savvy shopping disappears and we make impulse decisions often with money we don’t really have. A recent study was released in the States which had participants watching a sadness-inducing video clip and then observed their habits. These people then offered to pay nearly four times as much money to buy a water bottle than a group that watched an emotionally neutral clip.

The phenomenon is thought to occur without us even being aware which is why it differs from retail therapy. The researchers concluded sadness can trigger a chain of emotions leading to extravagant tendencies. Sadness leads people to become more focused on themselves, causing the person to feel that they and their possessions are worth little. That feeling increases willingness to pay more — presumably to feel better about themselves.

Interestingly enough the article spoke about personal shoppers, who say they frequently see clients stray from their budgets when they’re feeling blue. As the saying goes, ‘If you look better, you feel better’!

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