Why does grocery shopping feel good?
Heading to a supermarket is so much better. You end up buying just what you want 'cause it's food. You know you'll end up eating it and nothing goes to waste. Plus food is a universal love language–it unites people and makes everyone happy.
It is the best kind of retail therapy.
Unlike shopping for new clothes and that stylish shoes, shopping for food will not leave a guilt feeling in your heart and gut because you know that the items you purchased are needed in the house, and not just some extra items that you bought out of whim.
It's interesting to see what items we've convinced ourselves we need. Walking around the grocery store aimlessly provides mindless entertainment when you don't want to spend any money.
Shopping to lift one's spirits is the very definition of retail therapy. “We know that spending behavior is about more than just acquiring stuff. It is often about satisfying deeply felt emotional needs,” said consumer psychologist Chris Gray Psy.
So, what is causing shoppers to flock to stores for their groceries? Trust. In fact, 46% of shoppers claim to shop in-store because they do not trust someone else picking out their grocery products for them, 84.51° reported.
Why shopping feels good. Feelings of sadness, stress, or anxiety are often rooted in feelings of powerlessness. The authors of the 2013 study suggest that retail therapy offers people a sense of control that counteracts these feelings.
While “shopping anxiety” is not a formal diagnosis, many folks experience real anxiety when they visit a store. It can also be linked with anxiety disorders. The stress and worry might result in panic or avoidance of shopping altogether.
Unlike every other shop on the high street, supermarkets are also the one place that can truly cater to your inner OCD, and this in itself can be immensely calming. If you're ever feeling overwhelmed, try losing yourself among the ordered aisles of neatly stacked boxes in a supermarket.
A: When you have ADHD, grocery shopping can be harder than most people imagine. Grocery stores are designed to distract shoppers with colorful displays and free samples. There are many choices for the different kinds of products. Most stores are large and don't have clocks or windows to give you a sense of time.
Grocery store anxiety is a common yet often overlooked issue many individuals face when navigating crowded supermarkets, making decisions, and managing the sensory overload associated with shopping. This anxiety can significantly impact one's ability to shop effectively and enjoyably.
Why does shopping improve mood?
Dopamine is a chemical released in the brain that makes us feel good. Dopamine lasts even past the act of the purchase. The anticipation also releases dopamine such as when window shopping or adding items to an online cart. The distraction associated with retail therapy helps relieve a bad mood.
The bright lights, colors, noises, and smells of a grocery store can trigger sensory overload, amplifying feelings of anxiety.
“Retail therapy is a way for people to decompress and distract themselves from the stressors within daily life. Purchasing something we want gives us a boost of happiness. It feels like a treat and can be one way to indulge in self-care when done in a healthy manner. “
Building store loyalty isn't always easy. Especially when the average customer lives within close proximity to multiple grocery stores. 83 percent of consumers visit between four to nine grocery chains a year to do their shopping with just 1 percent of consumers being loyal to a single store.
For most products, only a minority of consumers prefer to buy in-person. Groceries are a notable exception, with 60% of consumers preferring to buy them in-store. This may be because many food items are not standardized and benefit from seeing and comparing in-person.
Research from consumer analysts NIQ offers some insight. An NIQ report published in April found that shoppers were buy 2% less groceries than they were compared to the same period a year before. This was lead by the largest declines in frozen foods and household items.
Many people develop an addiction as a way to cope with their emotions. This is the same for those with a shopping addiction. Compulsive shopping and spending may be a way for you to avoid or mask negative and uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, boredom, stress and anxiety.
Purchasing something you want gives a boost of happiness. And, it's not necessarily a bad way to handle emotional distress. As long as you stay within budget, retail therapy can have a positive impact on your mental health.
In small, manageable doses it can soothe the soul. Shopping isn't a problem when it's done in moderation, just like moderate use of alcohol.” The trouble is when retail therapy prevents us from paying our bills on time, breaking our budgets, lying and/or hiding purchases, and feeling guilty or shame.
That feeling of dizziness or disorientation while shopping might mean that you're experiencing a condition known as visually induced dizziness or supermarket syndrome. This is a common condition that affects many people and can be triggered by the complex and visually stimulating environment of a supermarket.
What is supermarket syndrome?
It can also be referred to as visual vertigo, space and motion discomfort, supermarket syndrome or visual vestibular mismatch. Chronic (long lasting) symptoms of dizziness or unsteadiness can be made worse by: Large areas of complex patterns or movement. Such as supermarket shelves. Moving traffic.
Here are their main findings: Unplanned shopping seems to help relieve bad moods. Resisting the urge to buy something has a similar mood-boosting benefit for people trying to avoid impulsive spending. Retail therapy usually doesn't involve negative effects, such as buyer's remorse, guilt, anxiety, or other distress.
But does shopping really help us feel better? Yes, in fact it does, says clinical psychologist Scott Bea, PsyD. “Research suggests there's actually a lot of psychological and therapeutic value when you're shopping — if done in moderation, of course,” he says.
Experts define "retail therapy" as the psychological challenge called "oniomania," or compulsive shopping. One may continue partaking in shopping habits because it can offer a sense of relief from their feelings of anxiety, depression, or shame.
Dopamine is associated with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction, and it's released when we experience something new, exciting or challenging. And for many people, shopping is all those things.
