Put down the credit card, you unstoppable spending machine. Groundbreaking research
shows that shopping leads to more shopping; not, as some predicted,
happiness. Once you start buying, you build up what researchers call
"shopping momentum," and then you can't stop.
Shopping momentum occurs when an initial purchase providesSo how do you get in the zone?
a psychological impulse whose momentum drives the purchase of a second,
unrelated product... Momentum occurs because the initial purchase moves
one from a deliberative to an implemental mindset, thus driving
subsequent purchases.
Shopping has two distinct phases. First, you wisely deliberate a
product's value. Once you decide to buy, you reach the second phase,
where it becomes easier to make additional, more expensive purchases,
without returning again to the deliberative phase.
Planning can derail mindless spending. Keep your money in separate
places to create a pause between decision and purchase. Like with
grocery shopping, make a list before hitting the mall to avoid
extraneous purchases. If you want to browse, ask salespeople to hold
items and come back the next day to re-evaluate your selections with a
thrifty friend.
Buyer Beware: Shopping Can Lead to More ... Well ... Shopping [Stanford Graduate School of Business]
The Shopping Momentum Effect (PDF) [Journal of Marketing Research]
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