Last April, I wrote: “I’m scratching my head about—and steeling myself for the potential fallout from—a new internet phenomenon, the “Haul Video,” examples of which are popping up on YouTube like mushrooms after a rain.” There are now over a quarter of a million of them! What’s a Haul Video? For the better part of… Continue reading What’s Wrong with Haul Videos?
Category: Retail Psychology
Shoptimism
Lee Eisenberg’s Shoptimism is a journey into the psychology of shopping from two sides of the cash register, the buy side and the sell side. It could easily be the upbeat textbook for Retail 101, exploring in its first half the buy side—why we consumers shop—and in its second half the sell side, how different… Continue reading Shoptimism
Recession Promotes Family Time Over Shopping
Jennifer Lance, writing in the January 7th Eco Child’s Play, calls our attention to a positive (and somewhat unexpected) consequence of the economic downturn. She cites a New York Times and CBS News poll which found that “more Americans are spending more time with family and friends and less time shopping during the recession.” The… Continue reading Recession Promotes Family Time Over Shopping
Continued Media Focus on Compulsive Shopping
Compulsive shopping is pretty much out of the closet now, with continuing treatment in television, film, and print. Here are four recent examples of note: “The Bank of Mom and Dad,” a BBC show that begins airing on SOAPnet September 30th, is “reality programming as a financial-makeover show.” In each episode, a young woman in… Continue reading Continued Media Focus on Compulsive Shopping
Consumer Behavior: Messages into the Void?
Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior (Viking, 2009) . An old philosopher’s question asks: “If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one to hear it, does it make a sound?” An updated version, tongue-in-cheek, is this: “If a man speaks in the forest and there’s no woman to hear him, is he still… Continue reading Consumer Behavior: Messages into the Void?
Overshopping Overseas
According to Trinny and Susannah, the two stars of ITV1’s reality fashion show, now in its second season, Brits spend 30 billion pounds every year on clothing, much of which is never worn. In an effort to help British women who are compulsive buyers learn to spend their money more wisely and stop buying things… Continue reading Overshopping Overseas
16 Strategies to Curve A Compulsive Shopping Addiction
I’ve given you the three main strategies for stopping compulsive buying and curbing a shopping addiction. Now, I want to share with you some more tips to stop overshopping, things to think about, and questions to ask yourself if you think you’re at rick of developing a compulsive shopping addiction. First, keep in mind the… Continue reading 16 Strategies to Curve A Compulsive Shopping Addiction
Making Less, Spending More: What’s Wrong with this Picture?
In a Washington Post article earlier this year, Michael Fletcher pointed to some disturbing facts about the direction of the middle class economy. At the heart of the matter is a curious reversal: although the typical American family now earns less than it did seven years ago, its rate of consumption has increased significantly. Median… Continue reading Making Less, Spending More: What’s Wrong with this Picture?
Emotions and Buying Behavior: Two Recent Studies
How do negative emotions affect our buying habits? A recent study looked into the effects of sadness on our willingness to spend. Participants, who had agreed to participate in the study for a ten dollar stipend, were divided into two groups. One viewed an emotionally neutral video about coral reef systems in Australia. The other… Continue reading Emotions and Buying Behavior: Two Recent Studies
God Save My Shoes
In the works is a documentary that explores the passionate, elaborate, mysterious, and centuries-old relationship between women and their shoes. The film is based on interviews with designers and manufacturers—including Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Laboutin, Steve Madden, and Pierre Hardy—as well as noted shoe purchasers, including Catherine Deneuve, Mariah Carey, Audrey Tatou, and Imelda… Continue reading God Save My Shoes