Compulsive Buying Disorder. Okay, Laugh

Bloggers Unite has called for bloggers to do postings today about empowering the disabled. To honor that, I’ll now describe the heartbreak of compulsive buying.

     Yes, I hear you asking, “Are you really putting compulsive buying in the same category as blindness or being wheelchair-bound?” I can even imagine somebody asking, “Hey, since I’m a retailer interested in making sales, how do I find me a bunch of people with this problem?” And after the giggles pass, a legitimate question is, “Why should I, as a retailer, be concerned about compulsive buying?”
     First a definition: Compulsive buying is a compelling urge to keep on buying products or services in self-destructive ways. Many mental health professionals have been referring to it as Compulsive Shopping Disorder. However, the latest research indicates a more accurate name is Compulsive Buying Disorder, since the person’s tension is released when they make a purchase, not when they shop. Shopping is the foreplay.
     And now to your questions:

• Is it serious? Based on research at University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin, this disorder clearly meets the Americans with Disabilities criterion of interfering with activities of daily living. This is not impulse buying. Compulsive buyers frequently don’t use the items they purchase. It’s not pathological hoarding. Pathological hoarders can’t bring themselves to discard what they have, even if their welfare or the health of their family is at risk. Compulsive buyers can’t bring themselves to stop making needless purchases, even if they can’t afford to feed their families.
• How to find these folks? Watch for people who struggle to keep from buying when they’re emotionally upset. I'd never suggest that you refuse to sell an item to a customer because you suspect the person is a compulsive buyer. But I would suggest that you and your staff refrain from sales pressure on customers who seem to be struggling to keep from buying when appearing to be emotionally upset. Researchers at University of Richmond and University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign estimate that 9% of adults suffer some form of compulsive shopping disorder. Researchers say it’s serious in about 2% of adults.
• Why should you care? Well, among other things, compulsive buyers are less likely than other customers to pay their bills and more likely to return items. Help empower these consumers to fight their addiction. Recognize compulsive buying as a disorder. No kidding.

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Deal with Compulsive Shopping Disorder