Black Friday: How offers affect shopaholics? – 11/23/2023 – Market

Whenever November arrives, bank employee Paulo (fictitious name), 27, tells his psychologist that he will need more therapy sessions and that he may have to contact her outside of consultation hours.

The reason? Black Friday and the anxiety that the avalanche of offers causes in him.

The date was imported from the United States to Brazil in 2010 and is always held on the Friday after the American Thanksgiving holiday. In 2023, the Brazilian version takes place on November 24th.

But promotions begin to multiply in stores several days or even weeks in advance.

For a compulsive shopper in treatment like Paulo, this makes his addiction even more acute. “I feel anxious all month long,” he says.

“Stores send offers and approach [os clientes] anyway. I even silenced notifications for new emails on my cell phone. I only go to the mall accompanied by someone who knows about my problem and can stop me.”

He says that making purchases, whether necessary or not, gives him satisfaction and a feeling of well-being. Then comes the guilt for having done it, which leads you to buy more, to feel good again, in a cycle that is difficult to break.

“If I buy sneakers because I think they’re pretty, then I need to buy clothes to match and I’m always finding an excuse to spend.”

Psychologist Tatiana Filomensky explains that around 5% of the world’s population has some form of compulsive buying disorder.

The majority of those seeking help are women, according to Filomensky, who coordinates the Compulsive Buyers Program at Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo, says.

“The isolation caused by the pandemic has tripled the number of people seeking out this type of treatment. We have even provided a channel to give tips and assist these people”, he says.

Discount seasons, such as Black Friday, and other commemorative dates can encourage uncontrolled purchases.

“Black Friday generates an emotional impact. People are led to believe that they have permission to buy because it is cheap”, he explains.

“Our brain wants to gain an advantage, and then comes the urge to buy.”

The main Brazilian commercial associations project an increase in sales this year. The Brazilian Electronic Commerce Association (Abcomm) is the most confident, with an estimated growth of 17% in relation to 2022.

The National Commerce Confederation (CNC) expects a 4.3% increase in sales. Neotrust estimates that sales will be 12.6% higher compared to the previous year.

Paulo says that a year and a half ago he started putting on a list what he wanted to buy instead of spending on impulse.

But, last week, he needed to ask his psychologist for help. “I saw a headset that was R$50 cheaper and wanted to buy it. It was a trigger, even though I had the same one and it was still new,” she says.

But he didn’t need a new headset, and the emergency consultation with the therapist helped him curb his compulsion.

“Black Friday is not the cause, but it enhances that person’s desire to buy”, says the psychologist at Hospital das Clínicas.

The origin of shopping compulsion

The banker says that his shopping addiction began when he was still a teenager.

“I come from a religious family and, over time, I became repressed for being gay,” he says.

“So, I bought new clothes every week to impress people to receive affection that I didn’t receive from my family.”

Paulo says he has already had to buy a bigger wardrobe three times to accommodate the increasing number of pieces.

He says he has more than 60 pairs of sneakers, many of them repeated and some he never took out of the box to wear.

“I hold on to my things, I don’t sell them and I keep accumulating them,” he says.

He says that after he started therapy, “everything changed.”

Paulo attends two sessions a week to deal with his addiction and, in the most difficult moments, he calls the psychologist to ask her opinion on a purchase.

“She recommends looking at what I have today, evaluating whether they are similar products and understanding whether it is necessary,” he says.

Another tactic to alleviate the desire for a product is to do some activity to distract yourself, such as going for a run or visiting a friend.

Paulo says that the constant guilt he feels causes other compulsions, such as eating too much sweets. And he still feels frustrated for having too many clothes and not having spent them on something more necessary.

“Now, I’ve put a down payment on an apartment to use this money in another way,” he says.

“I need to stop this inferiority complex that I’ve always had of buying things to impress other people,” he says.

How to avoid unnecessary purchases on Black Friday

Psychologist Tatiana Filomensky says that, on dates like Black Friday, people are involuntarily impacted by promotions, even if they don’t look for them.

“We human beings have a sense of belonging. If we don’t do something that everyone else is doing, we feel excluded”, says the expert.

“So, we do everything we can to participate as well. This creates a widespread stimulus for consumption.”

The psychologist stated that, on occasions like this, even those who are not compulsive buyers can end up purchasing unnecessary products or services on impulse.

She gives some tips for those who want to shop more consciously and avoid spending more than they should.

1. Make a list of what you would like to buy

Filomensky explains that mapping your shopping desires helps you “not get lost mentally” among so many offers.

This is especially true in digital stores, which often present consumers with suggestions for products other than what led them to a website.

“You click to see the phone you wanted and are suggested to buy a cell phone, and this leads to loss of control.”

2. Think about how much you can spend

Before going shopping, a person should understand what their financial possibilities are, says the psychologist.

It’s a way to prevent purchases, no matter how cheap they are, from becoming a problem in the future.

“The person has to think: ‘Can I buy it? How much can I spend? If I’m going to pay in installments, how many installments will it be? Will this affect my budget in the long term?’.”

3. Avoid pitfalls

Filomensky says that, before making a purchase, it is good to reflect to make sure it is a good option.

“Whenever you go to buy something, put it in the cart and allow yourself to think,” he says.

It is common to find timers on shopping sites that indicate that the offer will expire soon or that many people are viewing the same product.

“These are incentives for you to buy without thinking. Taking a break before completing the purchase is essential to avoid being pressured.”

4. Ask family and friends for help

The psychologist states that, especially in cases of compulsive buyers, the ideal is not to shop alone.

She says that many people avoid shopping with people they are close to because they know they will likely receive criticism.

“Share with someone close to you what you are buying or researching on the internet. Ask their opinion about this purchase too.”

5. Limit access to social media

Filomensky recommends that the ideal is to stay away from social media during periods like Black Friday.

Limiting the use of apps and turning off notifications helps avoid unnecessary consumer stimuli.

“Instagram is one of the worst places, because there is a flood of sponsored content directed at you,” says the psychologist.

“That leads you to believe that you need it, even if you’ve never seen it before.”

6. If you can’t pay, don’t buy

The expert states that, if you are unable to pay the debt, the ideal is not to buy.

Reducing the card limit or removing the possibility of using an overdraft, for example, is a way of controlling yourself in these moments.

This provides a safety margin to not buy more than you can afford.

“The consumption possibilities are endless, but the money is not,” says Filomensky.

“The most important thing is to gain awareness and not let emotion take over and use your reason.”

This text was originally published here.