New Insights On Retail Therapy – Can It Do More Harm Than Good?

By Brian Maynor

 

We’ve all used retail therapy to combat feelings of regret, boredom, frustration or even excitement but earlier this week I ran across a recent study that shone a whole new light on the practice.

The Journal of Consumer Research just published their findings on the effects of retail therapy, particularly compensatory retail therapy.  That is the kind we engage in when we’re upset over something else in our lives.  Here’s what I learned:

 

1.    There are two-types of compensatory purchases.  After your session of retail therapy, have you ever stopped to examine what you bought to help yourself feel better?  This study identifies two main types of compensatory purchases:  within-domain and across-domain.

Within-domain purchases are those that have a very clear link to the impetuous for the shopping session.  One example used was a student purchasing a trivia game after failing a test.  The direct link between this purchase and the disappointment is the purpose of the game; to reestablish the student’s belief they are smart.

Across-domain purchases are those completely unrelated to the situation.  For example, take the same student failing a test but purchasing a pair of shoes instead.  There is no connection between the event and the purchase.

2.    The dark side of emotional attachment.  We all attach memories to items, it’s why we have a hard time letting go of them, but when we make within-domain compensatory purchases that emotional connection can have a damaging effect.  This hypothesis was at the core of the study; the theory that if you buy something related to the reason we’re feeling bad we will be reminded of that feeling or situation every time we wear or use that purchase.  This carry-over effect can do more harm to our psyche than good.

3.    Effects of those perpetual negative thoughts.  The authors of the study conducted four experiments where they compared the ability to self-regulate in people who used within-domain compensation with those using across-domain compensation, and in every study within-domain compensators performed lower.  Researchers connected rumination about the event to the lower performance after the compensatory acquisition.

 

This study gives us a much better insight into retail therapy and guides us on the types of purchases we should make when we’re feeling down.  If you don’t want to continuously be reminded of that feeling or event you need to choose your purchase carefully.  That means recognizing and accepting the situation; not simply try to bury it with something new.

 

Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.

 

 

Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.

 

 

 

I am always curious to hear from you and what you see in the workplace.  Send your questions, comments and pet peeves to [email protected].  Also find each of these storyboards at http://brianmaynor.polyvore.com with links to purchase each item.

About Brian Maynor

Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com.

 

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