I know I don’t need to mention it ~again~, but this year has been weird, to say the very least.
Amidst all the chaos and change, we’ve been honing in on online shopping, one of life’s most reliable sources of joy – which is now a much smoother experience thanks to shopping apps like Klarna that make it even easier for you to access ya fave things through its wish lists and price drops features, making your shopping experience more meaningful.
Whether you’ve been indulging in luxuriously woven loungewear or suddenly found yourself deep into a collector’s world of old typewriters, that immense jolt of excitement you get when tapping “buy now” has been one of the buoys keeping us afloat during iso.
When lockdowns were implemented, some retailers absolutely surged in their numbers – online sales in beauty products were up 200% during the first week of April, with sales in toys, jigsaw puzzles and Lego up 475% in that same week.
Even though we haven’t been able to get to the shops as we usually would (some stores are starting to open up, letting customers shop in a very socially distanced manner of course), we’re pretty dang lucky to have access to All The Things that help us have fun, cook feasts or workout whilst stuck at home.
Now obviously the feeling of becoming the physical embodiment of drip when a new outfit arrives, or finally investing in a weighted blanket to get you sleeping well makes you feel amazing. But there are a bunch of deeper, physiological reasons as to why, especially during the last few months in iso, we’ve relied so heavily on that sweet serotonin boost delivered through online shopping.
So, we did a little digging around for the hard and fast facts that explain what exactly happens to ya brain when online shopping.
Shopping Can Make You Feel In Control Of Yr Life
You’re probably sick of hearing the phrase “unprecedented times” but that’s literally what we’re living through right now. We wake up to the news that switches up every bit of normalcy we’ve ever known and our lives as we know it is being altered every day (intense, soz).
Securing your ownership of a product is actually one of the last things we are able to completely control, so it’s natural in times on uncertainty (like this), we’re flocking to buy things online. It’s like when you’re preparing to go overseas to a country you’ve never visited, and you end up buying outfits for every weather event possible or are moving apartments and end up raiding the Kmart home section for a sense of comfort.
Erica Carranza, a US-based psychologist and vice president of consumer psychology at market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB) laid down exactly why the COVID-19 pandemic has us online shopping like crazy.
Carranza describes consumers gain control in their life as having a “sense of agency” in changing times – but in the last few months, the regulations that we must stay at home, as well as the overarching fear that we could contract the virus may have altered this.
“Consumption is driven by very strong motivations, like emotion, identity, and social connection. But the values, habits, and norms that shape what we consume and how we consume could shift dramatically.”
While the effects are harder to predict, it does tend to make people more likely to spend in ways that support their core values and supports their self-esteem or to spend in ways that they feel says something important about who they are.”
Apps, like Klarna, will also sort your organisational needs any time you feel like your life could use some control, allowing you to save your favourite items from different stores to your own wish lists and get price drop alerts when they go on sale.
The Dopamine Hit You Get From A Sale Is Next Level
According to stats, 68% of Australian consumers are always on the hunt to discover an life-changing sale.
Look, the thought of copping a fresh set of Morphe brushes on sale gifts me with as much accomplishment as what I imagine the moon landing meant to humanity. This does not fill me with any sense of disappointment in myself as yes, there is scientific reasoning behind this.
Psychologist Scott Bea, PsyD, reckons it’s about “intermittent reinforcement”, meaning sales keep you rewarded inconsistently and occasionally, pushing you to keep trying until you get what you want. So, considering our brains maybe haven’t been receiving the stimulation they usually would during iso, the feeling of uncovering a coupon code might just deliver that rush we’ve been craving.
Now, apps like Klarna are offering up that extra hit of excitement, by notifying you when the items you love go on sale – name a more organised shopping experience, please. You can also choose what kind of price drop you want to be notified at too – so if a mere 10% cut down doesn’t quite rustle your jimmies any more, Klarna will give you a buzz at a more appropriate 40% kinda vibe.
It’ll also amp up the good vibes even more, by providing the option to spread the cost of your orders over four instalments, giving you that extra feeling of freedom whilst you shop your fave items.
FOMO Will Overtake Logical Thinking
Soz, but it’s true. FOMO is inherent – I never thought that 2020 would be the year I developed serious Banana Bread-yearning but as we’ve nutted on, a lot has happened this year we never thought would.
We all know the toll it can take on ya noodle, so shoppers (according to stats) avoid it at all costs.
Some purchase-FOMO has become so extreme that 18% of consumers actually think they’re losing money if they don’t buy an item whilst it’s on sale, which is the kinda thinking that generally, fuels impulse buys.
Since the beginning of lockdowns, so many of our fave stores have been slinging bargains left, right and centre.
So, hopefully after this rundown, you’re feeling a little bit better about your physical responses to a Two-For-One deal, and know that you’re not the only one who day-dreams at the thought of bringing your outfit-inspo Pintrest boards to life.
If you’re looking to cop the latest deals without leaving your room, you can download the shopping app Klarna to suss all the best sales online.
