Binge Purge Shopping

   Returnista: a binge-and-purge shopper

CASHING OUT

November 16, 2008|By Beth Teitell, Boston Globe

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Gabrielle Mancuso adores shopping. American Eagle, TJ Maxx, H&M, those are her haunts. But with bad economic news bombarding her daily, there's something that brings the stylish Mancuso more pleasure than buying jeans and tops: returning those jeans and tops - unworn.
"I get cash back," Mancuso, a 19-year-old nursing student from Franklin, Mass., explained as she browsed at the Prudential Center recently. "It's instant gratification."
With many fashionistas reinventing themselves as "recessionistas" - style lovers who buy lower-priced versions of their beloved designer goods - Mancuso is taking fiscal restraint one step further. She's a "returnista," and she's engaging in one of the biggest trends for Fall/Winter '08. Call it circle shopping. It goes like this: Fashionistas make a purchase, stress out about it, return the item unused, exalt. And, of course, repeat.
"There's a weird euphoria when you return something," said Michelle Foss, 33, as she shopped. "You're relieved that it's coming off your credit card."

Buyer's remorse

Unlike "wardrobers" - crooked shoppers who buy with the intention of using their purchases before returning them - returnistas are guilty of nothing more than buyer's remorse.
Some have lost jobs and know they shouldn't be shopping at all, others haven't seen a decrease in income but worry they should be saving for an uncertain future. Some feel guilty about spending when others can't.
With U.S. consumer confidence plunging to a record low in October, returns are hitting an all-time high, according to the Conference Board, a private research group. A new survey by the National Retail Federation predicts retailers will see $219 billion in returns this year - a dramatic increase over last year, when returns totaled $178 billion, and over 2006, when they were $169 billion. "That is a significant increase," said Joseph LaRocca, vice president of loss prevention with the National Retail Federation.
The majority of returns are legitimate - in 2008 only a fraction, $11.81 billion, will be fraudulent, that is, items that were stolen, bought with a fraudulent check, or used. But even so, they're "not something retailers look forward to," LaRocca said. In fact, 17 percent of retailers are tightening return policies this year, either by reducing the time allowed for returns, restricting the number of returns a shopper can make or charging restocking fees. At the same time, however, the weakening economy has prompted 11 percent of retailers to loosen return policies to woo shoppers.
Either way, shoppers are bringing things back - or trying to. Karen Fabbri, owner of Moxie, a Beacon Hill shoe and handbag boutique, has started seeing customers who appear to be "going through their closets to see what they can bring back." Sometimes, returns happen before the customer gets back to the car. One woman bought a $228 woven Paul Smith belt at the stylish store, walked out the door, apparently started worrying about her purchase, and marched back in, desperate for the manager to make an exception to the exchange-only return policy and refund her money.
"(The woman) said she felt guilty and she really couldn't do this right now," Betty Riaz, the owner, recalled. "And she'd even gotten 20 percent off."
Although many returnistas would prefer to keep their purchases if they could do so guilt-free, circle shopping is not without psychological benefits, said Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Shopping is about more than having new things, she said.
"The hunt itself is crazy fun for a lot of people. The act of buying it - not even having it - gives people a sense of control. There's this sense of, 'I'm in charge of my feelings and my future,' and a sense of indulgence." Beyond that, she adds, with drastic markdowns offered by anxious retailers, forgoing a purchase can lead to its own kind of stress.

What propels purchasing

"There's a fear of missing out that propels a lot of purchasing," Yarrow said.
And then, when the fear of the credit or debit card statement strikes, there's returning to look forward to. "Taking something back that you don't want feels a lot better than not being able to buy something that you think you do want," Yarrow added.
And - who knew? - circle shopping may be smarter financially than not buying in the first place, says University of Pennsylvania economist Joel Waldfogel. "I had not thought about the question until you posed it," he wrote in an e-mail. "But it evokes the following image in my mind. Suppose I spent $500 on a Crock-Pot a few weeks ago and did not open it and kept the receipt. In the meantime, my stock portfolio declined, say, a quarter in value. The unopened Crock-Pot turns out to be the best asset in my portfolio, better than stocks, and almost as good as old-fashioned passbook savings."
San Francisco Chronicle, 2008

Shopping Addiction (Compulsive Shopping)

In-depth information on compulsive shopping, shopping addiction; including causes, symptoms and treatment. Compulsive shopping is similar to other addictive behaviors and has some of the same characteristics as problem drinking (alcoholism), gambling and overeating addictions. And while Shopping Addiction is not a recognized mental health or medical disorder, many mental health professionals believe it should be. “People who ‘shop till they drop’ and run their credit cards up to the limit often have a shopping addiction,” says Ruth Engs, EdD, a professor of applied health science at Indiana University. “They believe that if they shop they will feel better. Compulsive shopping and spending generally makes a person feel worse.” A 2006 Stanford University study concluded that compulsive overspending or over-shopping is a legitimate disorder that affects approximately 6% (17,000,000) of the U.S. population and that men and women suffer about equally. What is Shopping Addiction? “We all shop for many reasons,” says shopping addiction expert Terrence Shulman, LMSW, ACSW, “but the addict buys to relieve anxiety and over time the buying creates a dysfunctional lifestyle and more-and-more of their focus is on shopping and sometimes the cover-up too.” Donald Black, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine describes it like this: "Compulsive shopping and spending are defined as inappropriate, excessive, and out of control. Like other addictions, it basically has to do with impulsiveness and lack of control over one's impulses.” Shopoholics (as they are sometimes referred to) when they are feeling "out of sorts, shop for a " pick-me-up." They go out and buy, to get a high, or get a "rush" just like a drug or alcohol addict. According to Engs, shopping addiction tends to affect more women than men. They often buy things they do not need. Holiday seasons can trigger shopping binges among those who are not compulsive the rest of the year. Many shopping addicts go on binges all year long and may be compulsive about buying certain items, such as shoes, kitchen items or clothing; some will buy anything. Engs says that women with this compulsive disorder often have racks of clothes and possessions with the price tags still attached which have never been used. “They will go to a shopping mall with the intention of buying one or two items and come home with bags and bags of purchases.” In some cases shopololics have an emotional "black out" and do not remember even buying the articles. If their family or friends begin to complain about their purchases, they will often hide the things they buy. They are often in denial about the problem. Because they can not pay their bills, their credit rating suffers. They have collection agencies attempting to get what is owed, and may have legal, social and relationship problems. Shopaholics may attempt to hide their problem by taking on an extra job to pay for bills. And while some people joke about it, for those sufferers, family members and friends affected, a shopping addiction is no laughing matter. Sources: Prof. Ruth Engs, RN, EdD, Indiana University, Department of Applied Health Science Donald Black, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa College of Medicine Terrence Shulman, LMSW, ACSW, The Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft and Spending The Signs and Symptoms of Compulsive Shopping, Shopping Addiction “Shopping, done to excess, can spin out of control and lead to serious problems, eroding rather than enhancing your quality of life. The more you use shopping as an attempt to fill an inner void, manage your feelings, repair your mood, or pursue a ‘perfect’ image, the more likely it is that you need to take a closer look at what this behavior is costing you. - April Lane Benson,Ph.D., compulsive shopping treatment expert and author of I Shop, Therefore I Am: Compulsive Buying and the Search for Self On Dr. Benson’s website, she lists the following signs of shopping addiction for the shopaholic to be aware of. If you answer yes to any of the following, you may want to consider talking to your doctor or a mental health professional for further followup (and bring this questionnaire with you). Frequency/ Intensity of Shopping Do you often go on buying binges? Do you find yourself spending more time and/or money buying on the Internet, in catalogues, or on the shopping channels than you want to? Does money burn a hole in your pocket? Reasons Why and When Do you go shopping because you want to make yourself feel better? Do you often buy things because you think they will make you more like your ideal image? Do you sometimes feel that something inside of you pushes you to shop? Do you shop to avoid doing something else in your life? Feelings Before, During and After Do you go on buying binges when you're lonely, anxious, disappointed, depressed, or angry? Do you feel "high" when you go on a buying binge? Do you feel anxious, guilty, or ashamed after you go on a buying binge? Impulsive/Compulsive/Addictive Aspects Do you buy things even though you don't need or can't afford them? Do you ever feel on edge, agitated, or irritable when you haven't been able to buy something? Have you tried to stop overshopping but been unable to? Financial Consequences Do you find yourself making more and more use of credit [acquiring more cards, increasing your credit limit, etc.? Have any of your purchases ever resulted in problems with your bank or legal problems? Do you worry about your spending habits but still go out and shop and spend money? Other Consequences Are your relationships with family and friends suffering because of your buying? Has the craving to buy something ever caused you to miss a social engagement? Has your job performance been suffering because of your buying? Denial, Avoidance and Shame Do you hide your purchases and shopping trips from family or friends? Are you not opening your mail or answering your phone because you don't want to face the consequences of your buying? Do you not know, or not want to admit, how much you shop? Shopoholics get a high from an addictive behavior like shopping. Brain chemicals kick in, making the person feel good. No one knows what causes addictive behaviors, like shopping, alcoholism, drug abuse, and gambling. New evidence suggests that some people, maybe 10%-15%, have a genetic predisposition to an addictive behavior. That, coupled with an environment in which the particular behavior is triggered, can result in the addiction. While the causes of addictions like shopping or gambling remain uncertain, why addicts continue their destructive behaviors is better understood. Some individuals get a high from shopping (or any addictive behavior) which causes the sufferer to lose control and buy many items for which they have no need. Endorphins and dopamine, naturally occurring opiate receptor sites in the brain, get switched on, and the person feels good, and if it feels good they are more likely to do it -- it's reinforced. Compulsive shopping seems to be associated with: Emotional deprivation in childhood Inability to tolerate negative feelings, pain, loneliness, boredom, depression, fear, anger Need to fill an inner void – empty and longing inside Excitement seeking Approval seeking Perfectionism Genuinely impulsive and compulsive Need to gain control Source: Shopaholics Anonymous If you or a family member have a problem with overspending or shopping (including a shopping addiction), it’s important to seek professional help. Getting a psychological evaluation is a good first step. To treat shopping addiction, therapists use cognitive-behavioral therapy to help the person recognize and change their behaviors. Some compulsive shoppers may learn to limit their shopping and for the most severe patients, the therapist may recommend that someone else control their finances altogether. It’s not unusual for addicts, in general, to have co-existing psychiatric disorders, such as depression. Antidepressant medication may be considered as a treatment. There are also 12-step programs for support, like Debtors Anonymous. And many compulsive spenders run up of tens of thousands of dollars in bills, so credit counseling is also helpful. Psychiatrist, Dr. Donald Black, recommends some basic changes in behavior that will have a big impact on breaking a shopping addiction: Admit that you are a compulsive spender, which is half the battle Get rid of checkbooks and credit cards, which fuel the problem Don't shop by yourself because most compulsive shoppers shop alone and if you are with someone you are much less likely to be spend Find other meaningful ways to spend time Terrence Shulman, head of the Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft and Spending has some additional suggestions on his website: Reduce temptations Make lists before going to the store; buy what you need only – call folks, take a trusted friend Wait so many hours before purchase Do you need this or do you just want it? Develop other ways to handle emotions Develop fun things to do Learn to ride through urges and preoccupations Develop habits in stores And keep in mind that while behavior change is clearly crucial to recovery from compulsive spending, so is reaching out for help.