Retail therapy feels good. There’s no doubt about that. You buy a buttery-soft leather bag or a knitted cashmere scarf, and you’re automatically feeling on top of the world. But why? Why does retail therapy feel so good?
Have you ever heard the saying “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping”? Well, it’s pretty accurate. No matter what kind of person you are, it’s hard to deny the butterflies you get from a shopping spree.
However, it doesn’t have to be an expensive one. You could spend $5 or $500 and still get the retail rush. TNS Global published a study stating that more than half of Americans admit to “retail therapy” – buying something improve your mood and to feel better.
Another study published in the Journal of Psychology and Marketing found that 62% of shoppers purchased something to cheer themselves up and another 28% bought as a form of celebration. (You know, “I did a great job on that work project, I think I deserve a new top.”)
But when all is said and done (or, purchased) why is it that retail therapy feels good?
5 Reasons Why Retail Therapy Feels Good
1. You’ll feel more confident
When you look good, you feel good. And feeling good can help boost your confidence. Therefore, you’re going to perform better in all aspects of your life, and it’s all thanks to your boost in confidence.
If that’s not a great reason why retail therapy feels good, we don’t know what is. This also ties into how dressing for success can make you feel amazing too. Getting a new outfit for a date or a first day at the office can boost your confidence and help you be the most successful you can be! Getting a new travel outfit is also totally required.
2. It can ease a boring layover
What’s the best way to get over something? By moving onto something new! If you break up with a long-term boyfriend, it might be nice to buy all new bedding. Or if you got fired from your job, you could buy brand new office outfits.
Retail therapy feels good when you can forget about the old and move onto the new. It also feels good when it makes you forget about how annoying your layover is.
3. You could feel more creative
Just like a painter feels proud of the art they create, a shopper can feel proud of the purchases they made. Maybe they got something on a massive discount? Or perhaps they managed to find the perfect pair of shoes to go with that dress?
Whatever it is, feeling a sense of pride in the things you bought helps increase your overall mood. For many people, a sincere appreciation of the items they purchased can enliven their senses just the right amount.
4. It will relax you and help ease stress
Having other people eager to help you out and make your shopping experience easier is another way that retail therapy feels good. Do you think Cher Horowitz from Clueless ever felt stressed after indulging in retail therapy? Never. And she’s the shopping queen. To a lot of people, “retail therapy” means an escape, rejuvenation, and entertainment. Think of it as a mini vacation for your mental state! Because, after all, who comes back from a vacation stressed out? No one.
5. It’s a social connection
Whether you like shopping alone or not, you’ll get a social connection from the other shoppers and the sales associates when you’re shopping. Social connections are a basic human need.
Way back in the day, people went to the marketplace to make human connections. Now we can head to a glossy mall. It’s all the same. It’ll make you feel better even if you just talk to someone in a store. You don’t need to spend your life savings to benefit from retail therapy.
So whether you’re hitting up the latest airport shopping or clicking your way to bliss with online shopping, it’s a fact that retail therapy makes you feel good. Happy shopping!
UPDATED July 23, 2018
