Retail Therapy: In the News and in the Classroom

Retail therapy is suggested as a way for consumers to achieve happiness from the negative emotional state of modern life (Kang & Johnson, 2010). The practice of retail therapy has been referred to as compensatory consumption because it occurs "when an individual feels a need, lack, or desir...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of family and consumer sciences 2017-01, Vol.109 (1), p.51-53
Main Authors: Lee, Jonggeun, Marcketti, Sara B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Consumer Economics
Consumer Science
Consumers
Consumption
Depression (Psychology)
Fashion
Fashion designers
Laborers
Positive Behavior Supports
Psychological Patterns
Purchasing
Quality
Retail stores
Retailing
Shopping
Short term
Social Reinforcement
Students
Therapy
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Summary:Retail therapy is suggested as a way for consumers to achieve happiness from the negative emotional state of modern life (Kang & Johnson, 2010). The practice of retail therapy has been referred to as compensatory consumption because it occurs "when an individual feels a need, lack, or desire which they cannot satisfy with a primary fulfillment so they seek and use an alternative means of fulfillment in its place" (Woodruffe-Burton, 1998, p. 301). In compensatory consumption behavior, consumers shop when they are feeling negative moods such as anxiety, depression, frustration, loneliness, and stress (Faber & Christenson, 1996; Kacen, 1998). In addition, during economic downturns, consumers tend to spend more time shopping, albeit purchasing lower quality and lower priced products (McKenzie & Schargrodsky, 2011). Some researchers suggest that the use of shopping to ward off negative moods may lead to shopping addiction, necessitating financial and psychological counseling (Palmer, 2012). Furthermore, the waste generated by over-consumption is environmentally unsound and unviable (Hvass, 2014).
ISSN:1082-1651
2331-5369
DOI:10.14307/JFCS109.1.51