Why Do People Use Retail Therapy?

Imagine yourself after a long, stressful work week: meetings to attend to, deadlines to meet, kids practice to get to on time. For me I have school and homework to add on to that list of already stressful activities. Needless to say, we are busy and stressed out. Now imagine taking a few minutes to browse online and “window shop” at whatever you wanted to or better yet actually going to a store, taking the time to browse to find that perfect something and purchasing it. Wouldn’t that make you feel good? This is called retail therapy. This therapy has actually been recognized and proven by specialist and it helps individuals when done correctly.

Let’s define what therapy is first. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines therapy as “therapeutic treatment especially of bodily, mental, or behavioral disorder.” Wikipedia says that “the English word therapy comes from the Latin …show more content…
To the point that they actually tend to over shop though. People seem to shop the most right before marriage or their first baby. This holds true to the point that there are many lists out there online to make sure you buy everything you need in order to be prepared for the transition you are about to face. It helps to alleviate the stress and anxiety that goes along with the unknown of the event. It makes them feel more prepared for such a huge life change to “have it all” beforehand.

People also use retail therapy to brighten their moods. “Retail therapy is a great mood booster. It can relieve anxiety about something that is bothering you,” says Kit Yarrow author of Simple, Thrift, Living. When you go shopping after some depressing news you tend to feel a little better. When shopping and purchasing items that you want your body releases dopamine. It floods the brain in the same pleasure centers that get flooded during sex