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Women Shop More in Recession

Because it’s the only way they can think of to feel better

May 22, 2009 17:21 GMT  ·  By
Financially strained women are more likely to spend more money to boost their mood, new survey indicates
   Financially strained women are more likely to spend more money to boost their mood, new survey indicates

Shopaholics are addicts and, as such, when the going gets tough, they turn to the only thing they believe can bring them comfort and some sense of security. Case in point: women in recession spend more money on shopping sprees than they would when they’re not financially strained, the findings of a new survey indicate, as pointed out by LiveScience.

It is already a well-known fact that women tend to use shopping as a means of keeping powerful emotions under control, which is precisely why most of them overspend when they’re PMS-ing. The same principle applies to these dire financial times, when most women know they must cut back costs, are depressed because of it and, therefore, go on shopping sprees to boost their mood, the survey shows.

The study included approximately 700 women in the UK. Of them, almost 50 percent admitted to feeling scared or downright terrified by the recession, while 45 percent said that their financial situation had taken a serious hit. Three quarters of the questioned women said they would be making cutbacks in the near future, but a more overwhelming 79 percent admitted to making plans to splurge to feel better. At the same time, 40 percent of women said that depression was an excellent excuse to use for overspending – the other 60 percent revealed that “feeling a bit low” was good enough to throw some cash on unnecessary clothes and other items.

“This type of spending, or compensatory consumption, serves as a way of regulating intense emotions. If shopping is an emotional habit for women they may feel the need to keep spending despite the economic downturn. Or, perhaps worse still, if they can’t spend we might see an increase in mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.” Professor and author Karen Pine, who recently launched “Sheconomics,” says for the aforementioned publication.

However, even if most women do indulge in the spur of the moment shopping spree in the hope that it will magically make problems disappear, the results are rarely those anticipated. As a matter of fact, the survey also revealed that 25 percent of all women who shop to fight the blues on a regular basis feel ashamed, guilty and are filled with regret one week later, which means compulsive shopping is anything but the best mood booster.