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The Why Before the Buy. What is retail therapy and why do consumers engage?

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

School of Business, Marketing Department MKTG 331. Consumer Behavior. section #2510 spring 2017

Jose Flores, 0356038 Assignment #1/ Discussion Board - ~ 11-e. "( 1/30/2017

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CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP:··" '···///· I certify that I am the author of this work and that any assistance I have receve c 'n ':3 :;-e~:::-:::::: -3 =: .- acknowledged and disclosed. I have also cited any sources from wnicr I USEe ea:2, 'eE25 ::- ,'.: -:5. :'-e ::. quoted or paraphrased. This work was prepared by me speclncally fer tn.s CO~~5E.

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Proposed Question: The Why Behind the Buy. What is retail therapy and why do consumers engage?

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~etail Therap~- the act of shopping and spending to improve one's mood. (~ar-.:,'.'.. 2C13 'J.~::-. \~

~ are guilty of using shopping as a form of making ourselves feel better, Today, man; c~vee~ ~: ~u~er from depression, ,othe,rsseem to not to feel good about th~s, Shcpp.ng is jest <'.erao:c'·,

~jl.. for some individuals, I m guilty of~all many occasions where(i?asn't ,ekg ',',' . 'c", , .,ptl'" certain situation that ~ happened with a past girlfriend and using shopping to he :::(!S~':y~e: 1) r: \M.t4k~~ I"',

I .. rJlirP about the fact tharw~ ~t together anymore. The fact tha~s treating m'lsel~ tJ -e",.~r:ry, .. 1,,-1-1 ' (IV)' l7 ~ tAbt" "- \..A U I ~S / i sneak_ers,a new watch mad@el so much better inside ab~)lf t~ out that tre ,:~e 3~,

'clid(rt, it)Was that much more helpful in forgetting that vas so depressed over, Ma.ny lrdivdua 5

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use shopping to forget situations and find it to be therapeutic and a sense feel it is the o'll,!, \','a':/:o ~ee'

better about a certain situation.

A survey conducted by the TNS Global on behalf of Ebates,com found that more t.ian hai~ :f

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Americans (52%, including 64% of women and 40% of men) admit to engaging in r ejail theracv (':'3:-:·,'.

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2013) Shopping can be a rich source of mental preparation. As people shop r . ,natura:,y v.suallzir g f

how ~the produ ~dering, And in doing~ visua~ ~e'" life.

(Yarrow 2013) Take lex rience for example of my break-up with my ex-girlfriend, the fact t~) ~~;§:;nd the newest trendy watch, made me feel like I was ready to wear all this cloth ard 5e~

~ back out there. Retailers use this extensively because they know that many consumers buy based off

emotions and how they are feeling. Their marketing concept may use a television ad, or an ad on a

magazine of an actress and how she used shopping as a form of wea ring the latest trendy a utfit to T e-<e

herself feel better about a certain situation in their life. According to ~o~\s,com, research Vias

conducted that people who are upset tend to be more impulsive, which mea,~s they tend to spend rrcre

money during retail therapy experience. This is a situation where the emotio;\f the shopper comes into 7 ~~0-0G.L

play, an individual emotional state will determine the buyer's decision, hence allowing retailers ':0

maximize profits.

In fact, new research finds that people go shopping to ward off potential stress befcr e it

happens. (Mulvey 2012) This is something that is new to me and per research that was concuctec

helps prevent potential stress. This is totally understandable because stressing out is a ver, L,;nsa':'S':r'i~

feeling because it drains you mentally and physically and it does not allow you to function correctly. ~~:

one likes to feel stressed out about situations and shopping relieves that, people will always fine a '...a·~'

to let out that stress and continue to engage in retail therapy. This relates back to the re acngs ir

chapter one that the buyer's decision ultimately comes down to emotions and how the :Jst8mer 5

feeling. As mentioned earlier, people who are upset will tend to be more impulsive and spend 3 lc: c

money and not feel upset because they're already satisfied that retail therapy was their stress rE,ie'.er

References

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3, May 02). Retrieved Januarvz S, 2.):;'7 :r·:r: o~/the-vvhv-behind-the-:::L.,,2=::'3:5 :.".--::~:: -: ~':::.-:._

L/ Mulvey, J. (201/2, June 21). Shoppers Use "Retail Therapy" to Ward Off Stress. Retrievec .C"jc"\ 25 2017, from http://www.businessnewsdailv.com/2722-retail-tne.-a p". "!'-'-.

i (2015, September 04). Retail Therapy: Does it Help? Retrieved January 25,2017 ..from http://www.f~rbes.com/sites/rent/20;t5/09/03! retail-thera p,.oj =·e5-:~-~e:: =:::: ':,,' , -:e - ~

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