The seven deadly sins of spending
Lead us not into temptation? Fat chance with marketing gurus making millions doing exactly that; creating clever mind tricks that emotionally bind us shoppers to their products to make us buy them. Reclaim your retailer's rights, stop lining the pockets of others with products you don't need, and repent of those dangerous consumer sins!Ever been shopping for one thing and ended up with more bags than Victoria Beckham after a Gucci shopathon? You're not alone. A survey by Barclaycard found that 85 per cent of women buy goods on a 'whim'. The trouble is, you're not the only brains behind your spending sprees. From the colour of the carpet to product packaging, retailers, lenders and marketers target every single one of your senses to get you reaching for your wallet. Isn't it time you fine-tuned your retail radar to spot the sins that retailers target to foil your shopping motivations?
SIN: Fake impulses
Retail Anthropologists analyse the behaviour of shoppers against everything, from the positioning of a shopping basket to the effects of brushing bums in a store. Through their findings, these 'helpful' souls advise retailers on consumer psychology, and how to maximise sales by creating specific stimuli, which will trigger a want in you (the consumer) that can only be satisfied by acquiring the product itself.
Filtering the smell of fresh baking into a street, for example, causes scores of shoppers to stop and buy a bun, even when they're not hungry. Larger retailers take this concept further. Products are arranged to inspire: a skirt positioned alongside a shirt and a jacket prompts us to buy more because we visualise it as part of an outfit, rather than a distinctly individual item.
REPENT: Don't fall for impulse buying tactics. Pre-plan your shopping trips by making, and sticking to a list, or go with someone who won't encourage whimsical buys. If you're still tempted, just ask yourself who is really going to profit: you or the vendor?
SIN: Copycat syndrome
With so many celebrity spreads and glossy ads, it's hardly surprising that we crave new products. But behind this want, lies something deeper; a struggle to find a personal identity we're happy with. Ask yourself how many fashion items you have craved before you've even tried them on?
Spending is, in part, a psychological attempt to help us gain a sense of belonging. Research suggests that when we buy consumer goods, we not only consume the product, but also the symbolic qualities associated with it. In these instances, the purchases become a means for self-expression. In reality, however, if we buy into celebrity endorsed brands we're falling into advertisers' hands.
REPENT: Think positively about yourself. Repeat the following mantra; 'I am whole, I am complete, material goods won't change me'. When you want to treat yourself, focus on what looks good on you. By imitating another's style, you will only end up buying something that will not only not suit you, but will also depress you. Be your own style icon!
SIN: Guilt spending and misplaced generosity
Have you ever bought a bunch of flowers by way of an apology, or offered to pay for lunch just so that you seem generous? We all spend our cash to buy our way into people's good books, but does it really work? Judging by the billions of pounds we spend on gifts each year, we must think it does; in reality though, gestures of grandeur aren't long-term answers to underlying problems.
REPENT: Don't use money as your scapegoat. Be confident in your convictions and genuine in what you say. Money can't buy favour - honesty and integrity can, your friends and colleagues will respect you far more for the latter than the former.
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