beauty and shopping

Imagine this. Jim, a middle-aged husband who already owns a set of golf clubs in perfect condition lusts after a new, state-of-the-art set of titanium clubs worth $3,000. Given the state of their joint bank account, he knows there is no absolutely way that he and Sandra, his wife, could afford such a thoughtless purchase. Still, knowing full well of his desire for the clubs Sandra buys them for him as a gift, out of that same bank account. Is Jim upset with this purchase? Quite the contrary. He loves it. At the same time, Sandra is delighted to have been able to give her beloved this gift.

What just happened here? This lovely couple purchased something which they could not afford, an item which they simply didn't need, yet both of them were extremely pleased with the result. So is this a typical outcome for a typical family spending decision? You bet it is. In fact, such illogical purchasing decisions represent the pattern of most people's shopping these days. Studies have shown that about two-thirds of everything that people buy is quite unnecessary.

The golf clubs are just an everyday example of the flippant manner in which people make purchases. Many similar examples are common. Consider Malcolm who trades in his family van, long before any such trade is warranted, just to buy a brand-new, shiny, stylish sport-utility vehicle. Consider, similarly, Stephanie who relegates to the closet perfectly fine clothes in favor of brand-new 'threads' which are more in style. People buy all types of seemingly unneeded things and make totally illogical shopping decisions. At the same time, there is a rationale to all this if we just take a look under the surface to the real reasons why people shop.

Consider the impulse buy. All of us have bought things on impulse. We all know the feeling. Bridget is a rational shopper who is out to buy something when all of a sudden she spots this item - a piece of clothing - that she simply must have. There was no prior plan to buy the object - it might not not even fit her budget - but this determined impulse shopper has got to have it. Is there an emotional justification for such behavior? Why is it that we find ourselves shopping for things on the basis of sudden and unanticipated urges, and regardless of whether there is a need for them or not? An impulse purchase is a revealing indicator of 21st-century consumer shopping behavior.

Shopping can provide a unique emotional experience which is on par with marriage or the birth of a child. Everybody has felt this thrill of walking out of a store having just bought that certain item that was what they always wanted? The impulsive shopping experience can sometimes be so stimulating that it can produce a rush of adrenaline. Such shopper can feel like he has just conquered a country through the mere act of purchasing an item that was pleasing to him. All of us have experienced the almost ecstatic thrill of that perfect shopping event, and the exhilaration of victory that comes from making that successful buy.

Emotional highs from shopping can be like no other. This is what the modern-day shopping experience is all about. A recent advertisement for General Motors car exemplified the ultimate goal of shopping. It asked, "When was the last time you felt this good in something?"