Annie Collins
Mrs. Straub
Economics- B1
29 March 2015
Producers Take Advantage of Compulsive Shoppers
Around this time of year there are many new lookbooks and fashion shows to show the new fashions for spring. Many people get excited to see the new fashion statements however; for some it can bring out a weakness. About 6% of females and about 5.5% of males possess a mental sickness called compulsive shopping. This sickness has not been studied extensively but, it has been called an impulse control disorder. For compulsive shoppers, buying something creates a feeling related to the euphoria that alcohol induces. Just like alcoholics it’s hard to stay away from the rush of pleasure. Many producers take advantage of these people by putting out sales for a very short amount of time.
Many shoppers like buy bargains but compulsive shoppers can not pass up a deal even it they don’t need it or will never use the item. Passing a deal makes them sick inside and can not let the deal go. Deiter, a compulsive shopper, said that she bought $80 worth of beads last month and the beads are still in the box. She once had a hobby of making jewelry and wanted to go back to making it but, there was a reason she stopped and now wasted $80 on beads that will never be used. To see an example of compulsive shoppers watch this video.
Sometimes, people acquire objects as a way of dealing with chaos and feeling out of control, Benson, a physiatrist studying compulsive shoppers, said. "You buy something, you're in control of it," she said. Benson also explained that this disorder could be related to childhood. Many parents may have given presents instead of time and attention, leading a child to grow up wanting to get more material possessions. Other people may have grown up with a lot of emotional or financial deprivation, and when they're able to afford shopping for themselves, they overbuy as a way of not going back to the way things were. Another theory is that "we buy as a way of trying to deal with our fears of death and the inevitability of death," Benson said. Benson also said that ⅔ of compulsive shoppers turn into hoarders when they are older.
Online shopping has heavily increased over the years (shown by the graph above) due to increase in businesses having a website as well as technology advancing. The increase in sales off line increases the amount of people who possess the mental disorder of compulsive shopping.
Producers tend to take advantage of people who have these mental shopping disorders to boost sales. These shoppers increase demand for mostly clothing and shoes, nondurable goods. Since these shoppers increase demand for both elastic and inelastic items producers will have to supply more. Not only do compulsive shoppers help producers because they buy so much. They also help therapists because these people often times will have to see therapists because they are not able to pay bills and live because they have bought so many clothes and other unnecessary items because they were appealing to the eye or were on sale.
Now a days a shopper doesn’t even have to leave their couch to make a purchase. Almost every business or at least larger businesses will have websites; which are a lot easier to quickly buy clothing or shoes. Many consumers will buy large amounts of clothing off line because there is a sale or just need clothes with the intendant of sending a good portion of it back , but never do. Since consumers have this mental disorder of compulsive buying it really helps the producers sell more to keep up with the demand, which overall helps the economy. Although for the compulsive shoppers their bank accounts are really low and can not buy houses or big items because their credit is so low, all of their shopping help producers and the economy as a whole grow.
Sources:
Landau, Elizabeth. "Compulsive Shopping: When Spending Is like Substance Abuse - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 3 Jan. 2012. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
"True Life: I'm A Compulsive Shopper." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Bain, Marc. "The Neurological Pleasures of Fast Fashion." Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 25 Mar. 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
I thought it was interesting that you talked about compulsive shopping being a disorder. I also thought it was interesting how you related it to economics, how shopping helps the economy. I know this is a busy time of year for shoppers (and producers) because everyone is buying clothes for the new season. I wonder with that being said, if the amount of compulsive shoppers goes up this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a topic that should be fostered and talked about because it seems to be becoming a big problem as communications get faster and with a click of a button there is so much that can be done. I don’t know if this is an actual disorder but if it is, it will definitely lead to many economic problems to not just the person suffering it but the shops being bought from who at some time wouldn’t receive the money their product is worth. You incorporated vocabulary from class very well and your post brings a lot of good points that I wouldn’t really think about when thinking about compulsive shoppers. Though I sometimes like shopping, I hope I don’t develop this because of all the bad consequences it would bring.
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to read about how you related compulsive shopping to the economy and how it it helps no matter what form of shopping, whether it's online shopping or going to a store. I think it would be interesting to see how much on average people spend per year in both stores and online.
ReplyDeleteAnnie, I thought your post very very coherent and I learned a lot from it! I found it interesting that 6% of females have a mental sickness called compulsive shopping. These compulsive shoppers help to foster businesses by buying so many goods, so those businesses will never have a surplus of goods. These shoppers have revere for buying things that they like, even if they never even use the good, like the lady who bought the beads. However, this compulsive shopping can be detrimental to their health and savings account. Great article!
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read about shopping as a compulsive disorder and how it has become a problem but not for the economy. How much revenue do companies make around this year? How much money has the online sales increased over the years?
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this post so much! I understand how online shopping is enabling the compulsive shoppers. Just this morning I was on my computer looking for dresses to wear to a wedding. I found at least 10 that were so cute! I didn't realize that so many people suffered from compulsive shopping, and although it is a negative for the individual, it provides jobs and income to other people in the process, helping the economy. Online shopping has greatly expanded many companies and although it may be a negative to a few people, overall it has been positive. I loved reading your article, Annie! Thank you for sharing with us!
ReplyDeletealso compulsive shopping leads many to financial ruin and they can no longer even live on their own. they also sometimes buy some really neat stuff that they can use or sell to someone for more than the sale price
ReplyDeleteShopping definitely helps the economy, but I didn't think about the compulsive shoppers and how they affect the economy. I wonder how much money made from shopping is from the compulsive shoppers, instead of just normal shopping. The statistics you used were helpful for your argument, and this was a very well written article!
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting topic Annie! I really like how you explain what a compulsive shopper was and explained this disorder to how this related to the economy. Producers should target these shoppers because it will defienetly gain them more profit because they will buy their product if there is a good deal, no matter what. It seems like these kind of shoppers mostly buy non durable goods which is also something producers must take into play. I can't believe 6% of females have this disorder. That is crazy. But producers should also consider this and maybe aim their products more at females. They could advertise or do other methods to display their "great deal!" Consumers demand will increase if the price is lowered. This was a very interesting piece and I enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteAnnie, this brings up a very good point. Many people who love shopping send a lot of money each year for the new trends or the latest outfits that come into play when a new season roles around. I think that many people spend way to much money buying clothes than putting food on the table. It is also true that once people see the world sale they will buy it because, they think the price has gone down. It is very interesting to read about this.
ReplyDeleteI knew that there were compulsive shoppers, but 5.5% of males and 6% of females having it is a pretty high percentage- I bet that we’re one of the countries with the highest percentage of compulsive shoppers. When you said that compulsive shoppers can’t pass up a deal it reminded me of that show Extreme Couponers because the people will go out and buy whatever they have a coupon for no matter if they need it or not, the only consolation is that they’re “saving money”. Compulsive shoppers aide the economy because they purchase so much, but they are harming themselves by not being in control of their wallet. This was really interesting to read about - nice job using vocab from class.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this blog post about how shopping impacts the economy in both good ways and bad ways. While reading this, I realized I am definitely a part of this group of people who have a problem with compulsive shopping. And thinking even deeper into my shopping habits, I wonder how much money I spend in stores compared to online. I also wonder how much money I/others spend at certain points in the year (maybe more around holidays or on vacations).
ReplyDeleteI never knew that being a compulsive shopper was actually a mental disorder, I always thought it was just a term for people who like to buy a lot. It’s crazy to think that somebody can actually get sick from not being able to purchase an item. It makes me wonder is there any way to treat somebody like this? You mentioned that many of these compulsive shoppers will become hoarders later in life and that makes a lot of sense because these people buy a ton of things they don’t need and end up with a surplus. Purchasing too many unnecessary items can be detrimental to their bank account, but like mentioned, it can help the economy. So even though these people are buying way more than they need and emptying their bank accounts, at least their insane amount of purchases can help the economy.
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ReplyDeleteThis was a very good topic, I never thought of it as producers taking advantage of the compulsive shoppers. Compulsive shopping is a mental illness that causes problems for the person who has the disorder but these compulsive spenders also help to boost the economy. These shoppers have no sense of trade offs and instead live in the moment buying unnecessary nondurable goods. These spenders do end up funneling a large amount of their money into producers pockets, boosting the economy. This makes me wonder how much money bigger producers make from compulsive spenders alone each year.
It would be interesting to see how these compulsive shoppers would react to a price increase in elastic goods, such as clothes and accessories. It seems as if they treat everything as an inelastic good. While compulsive shoppers contribute to a store's business, I don't think they are vital in order for a company to stay open because there isn't enough of them. Similar to what Abbi said, it would be interesting to see if the amount spent by a compulsive shopper increased during certain times of the year. Overall, awesome article and topic, good job!
ReplyDeleteThis topic is very relatable, online shopping is just too easy and convenient. Just about every store has a website that also sells product, then you can just add everything you want to your virtual cart, and checkout. Online shopping also leads to more impulse buys. I find it pretty crazy that compulsive shopping is considered a sickness, it doesn't make sense to buy something that you wont get a use out of, even if its at a great price.
ReplyDeleteIt’s sad that store use compulsive shoppers to drive their revenue. This disease is usually joked about, but in reality it can severely hurt a person’s life. It reminds me of the girl in the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. She said she didn’t need boys or tons of friends, when she used her magic card to buy things she felt happy and that’s all she needed. It’s hard to think there are actually people who live their lives like this, but there are. They drain their bank accounts, buy tons of stuff that sits in their house, and they usually get sick because of the gross living quarters they dwell in. Overall, it’s a great way for a company to make money. All they have to do is put on a great sale and advertise to these sick people.
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