“If money can’t buy happiness, why does it sometimes feel so good to buy things?” Kristin Bianco asks in her personal finance column on Fox News Network. Well, there is an answer to Kristin’s question if you look for her in the right place. That place is consumer psychology. Professor Kit Yarrow, a professor of psychology and marketing at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, in Psychology Today mentions the good feeling Kristin experiences when buying things like “retail therapy.” She says a recent study has found that more than half of Americans admit to participating in “retail therapy.”
So when your customers are feeling down, they go shopping to feel better …
Finding the pleasure of shopping
Depending on the emotional view of consumer decision-making, each of us is likely to associate deep feelings or emotions, such as joy, fear, love, hope, sexuality, fantasy, and even a little “magic”, with certain purchases. Also, scientists have found that shopping makes some people feel good. It has been reported that when a person purchases, the brain releases the chemical dopamine. Dopamine is related to feelings of satisfaction and pleasure and is released when faced with new and exciting experiences. So what do your clients pay when they want to have “retail therapy”?
Recent survey results indicate that participation in retail therapy is often driven by factors such as boredom and seasonal changes. Up to 66% of adults and 75% of teens indicate that shopping is a great cure for boredom, while 45% of adults found that seasonal changes are the biggest motivator for shopping.
If your customers really want to be happy, they will go shopping. WiseGeek describes a shopping spree as being “playful” and “the devil cares” in a single big money shopping trip. A shopping spree is the action you take to start your ‘retail therapy’. But what do your customers say about the joy of shopping?
Customer Insights on Shopping Pleasure
Here are some comments and feedback from customer experiences on the joy of shopping.
“I think the clothes I buy will make me happier. The storage containers, the pillows, maybe a bottle of nail polish. And while it’s true for a day, it doesn’t bring me real, lasting happiness. happy little: “I love this new dress! How cute and elegant I am! “But then the excitement wears off and I want to buy something else …” Ashley writes on her “Our Little Apartment” blog. Ashley’s comment supports the findings of the Ebates survey.
Customers sometimes feel guilty after a shopping spree. Here are some of the comments on Ashley’s blog:
Ashile says, “It’s so true that the moment we think about buying something new will make us happier. But really, it’s just momentary happiness.”
Marta says: “We have all wasted money, resources and time on unnecessary purchases. Do you know how I do it now? I wonder ‘Do I REALLY need it? “” Would you buy it again tomorrow? “That I’ll never find such a wonderful fabric in the world again? Ever?” So usually I realize that I’m not going to buy anything and I feel liberated. “
Customers feel positive and negative emotions at the same time before, during and after the purchase. But what will the customer feel when they visit your store?
Creating the right environment for joyful shopping
Previous studies have shown that consumers are influenced by their shopping environments, which in turn influence consumers’ emotional states and purchases. The negative emotions that consumers experience prior to the buying process are soon forgotten when consumers dive into the buying process and start visiting stores and examining merchandise.
A random purchase anywhere is unlikely to have therapeutic value for people who are feeling depressed. Their shopping experience should reward them. Emotional customers looking for “retail therapy” should visit your store to reward themselves. There are some obvious things a retailer must do to create lasting shopping experiences for their customers.
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Maintain a wide range and variety of products;
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Keep products that are in ‘season’;
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Make sure there are always some items on sale;
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Try to create an atmosphere in your store that makes customers feel happy;
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Provide customers with excellent and friendly service and make transactions smooth;
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Let your customers see, touch, rub, use, taste and smell the products;
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Keep your store clean and tidy at all times;
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Make sure your store is well lit and that there are enough cashiers at the payment points;
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Play music that puts customers in a good mood and gives them fancy shopping bags when they check out
Lastly, “What do customers do when they feel bored? They surf the internet and shop online …
Concluding
It seems difficult to draw a dividing line between “the joy of shopping” and “compulsive shopping.” Compulsive shopping is described as an “addictive disorder,” while the pleasure of shopping is keeping our stores open. The question we as retailers must ask ourselves is what to do if we recognize some of our customers as compulsive shoppers. Do we have a moral duty to warn them about it? Or to suggest help?
