Compulsive shopping is bad for your health
As the shopping season moves into full-swing with the holidays just around the corner, the thrill of buying that muchcoveted item or snagging a product on sale will be heightened.
“Shopping gives us a rush. There’s a positive emotion, the feeling of pleasure after buying an item, especially if it is something you’ve been wanting to have for a long time,” says psychiatrist Dr. Maria Bernadette Arcena.
Arcena says the thrill of shopping, even the occasional impulse buy, is perfectly fine and normal. However, when that positive emotion turns into an urge that you find irresistible and hard to suppress, it may be a sign of a more serious problem.
Compulsive buying is triggered by the irresistible and uncontrollable urge to shop. The consequences of compulsive buying can be devastating to the individual and even their loved ones. This behavior can also lead to serious financial problems such as bankruptcy, defaulted loans, a ruined credit history, theft or embezzlement of money, causing a devastating impact on one’s relationship with family or friends.
This becomes even more relevant now that a Philippine Mental Health bill is being discussed at length and is awaiting passage into law.
Paradoxically, compulsive buying can be harmful to retailers because a core symptom of compulsive buying is an intense feeling of buyer’s remorse.
Buyer’s remorse creates high incidence of product return and negative views about the retailer and can even lead to feelings of victimization attributed to the retailer.
In the United States, product returns have had adverse effects on businesses. Researchers have estimated that manufacturers and retailers spend more than US$100 billion (or more than P5 trillion) each year on return-related logistics, an average loss in revenues of nearly four percent per year.
“As a retailer, returns and complaints are not good for business. What we strive for is a healthy retail experience where we can cultivate relationships with our customers,” shares entrepreneur Yuval Mann.
Mann believes retailers have the responsibility to ensure their sales personnel are educated on how to approach customers when buying products to create a happy and healthy experience.
Sales personnel should take time to know customers, encourage them to try and buy the products they are most interested in, and then encourage them to come back and visit again. This way, the chances of a customer having buyer’s remorse, returns or complaints are minimized.
Arcena, for her part, says families and friends also play a crucial role in helping individuals with compulsive buying behavior. “Encourage the person to adopt a new activity or hobby. Have someone accompany that person when shopping. If possible, purchase using cash instead of credit or debit cards.”
It is also best to advise the individual to seek help by talking to an expert to have a better understanding of what he/ she is going through. Arcena says people who are experiencing these symptoms need not feel alone, because treatment is available.