“Today sucked”
As socialbites.ca learned from a conversation with H&M customers who came to the opening of the store this morning, people line up at store closures for completely different reasons. For example, Yevgeny Erin, together with his girlfriend Anastasia, comes to H&M, which is due to open on August 1, for the second day in a row and is looking for clothes in the right size.
“Nastya and I are fans of H&M, because there is a regular size grill. We both have plus size sizes – XL and XXL, such mass markets are rarely sewn. And what’s more, if we are talking about quality. Eichik has good basic stylish clothes, and in the plus category They don’t ignore the guys. Today we bought underwear and a T-shirt with a girl, and she bought some accessories. We actually bought a lot of things, more than we expected, but not with the last money.
We just want to wear clothes that feel comfortable to us, not too lazy to queue for it, especially since we live nearby and both work remotely. But of course the tin continued today.
When we left, ten people were allowed into the store – there were too many buyers. In Nastya, a lady took out a topic from her hands – because it is the last. We lost: until we went crazy for rags to fight,” said Yerin.
Elizaveta Kurina also had her own reasons for standing in a huge queue at H&M on her last birthday, where a certificate was presented for 10 thousand rubles.
“I have been asking my friends for a long time to give this certificate. And as soon as I got it, the stores announced that they were closing. Today I went to attack the brand when business started again. Don’t waste good, ”says Elizabeth.
The illusion of scarcity and the desire to buy everything
Natalya Nikolaeva came to the IKEA store, which closed twice not so long ago, although she did not queue at H&M. The thing is, he had an “inadequacy”.
“We decided to change the kitchen until spring. In order not to spend a lot of money at once, we wanted to buy one set first and then the table, shelves and chairs from one set. As a result, we got the headset, and then it turned out that IKEA was closed. Of course, they immediately rushed to get everything that was missing. Then you are tormented by choosing this furniture so that everything matches the style and color. As a result, they grabbed the necessary, but did not get a chair for the set, ”says Natalia.
According to Natalia, her 15-year-old daughter begged for a few more trinkets and interior items, although they later went for certain things.
“They took unnecessary garbage from his file and the active participation of the father, who was always for his daughter: they bought some candles, planters, napkins, soft toys. I don’t know why we needed all this, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to somehow get something that won’t be soon,” he said.
Maria Kotina, like Natalia, did not go to H&M today but will visit the store in the near future. She explained herself that she made such decisions because she panicked easily.
“I usually have some problems with this. I understand there is some kind of shortage, there are loads of other stores around, and I didn’t stock up on the same H&M until it almost closed, but… I still want to stock up. In the spring, when all this madness started, I even brought sweet buckwheat to my mother, because I was afraid that everything would be a crisis, that we would starve. And part of me says everything will be fine, and part of me wants me to buy everything that won’t be anymore. As if the heart was calmer, ”Maria shares.
Crowd Effect and Lost Profits Syndrome
According to psychologist and psychotherapist Natalya Naumova, shopping spree is explained by the so-called lost profit syndrome, which is most susceptible to people with a weak nervous system and mood swings, and those who adapt to circumstances and depend on opinions. from other people.
“When people go to these discounts, they feel like they missed the last and crucial opportunity to buy clothes or furniture from a particular brand. And, unfortunately, often such an opportunity seems peculiar to them because of the panic that is achieved due to the environment that constantly talks about it, ”says the psychotherapist.
Therefore, in his view, the psychology of the crowd simply works for many people lining up in long queues. It is this effect that causes the panic that we begin to buy everything in a row. The psychologist usually asks what comes to people’s minds after that, “Why did we spend so much money?” He assures you that he is wondering.
“Sometimes people don’t even have the means to survive the rest of the month. They are also aware that there are many other products on the market, but they are used to certain brands and therefore want them. Both the crowd effect and the missed opportunity syndrome manipulate a person’s consciousness and involve them in running around,” Naumova convinces.
At the same time, according to him, often people with psychological and mental problems cannot control their purchases. And in the end, they are the most susceptible to unpleasant emotions: they often feel frustration, irritability, embarrassment, even aggression and anger.
What to do so as not to spend everything
Therefore, before going to such sales, it is very important to make a list of exactly what you would like to buy in the store, if it were to work further. Calculating the budget is also necessary, and it’s best not to take more money for a living than you’re willing to spend.
“It is important to simulate the worst situation for yourself at home: close your eyes and imagine that you have bought everything, spent your last money and understand what emotions you are experiencing. If you don’t like them and you feel bad, you’re more likely to stop before you go to empty your wallet, ”says the psychologist.
If you are already shopping and there are people with you forcing you to buy something else, you should leave as soon as possible. People who tend to buy mania during the sale feel tense, their heart rate quickens, so they need to recover first.
Therefore, the psychologist advises, if possible, to drink water, breathe and reduce the sensory load: you need to leave the store, close your eyes and ears, subtract seven from the face in the reverse order until the situation stabilizes.
“First, you have to subtract seven from one hundred, you get ninety-three, you have to subtract seven from that, and so on. jagged – you need to subtract the number seven from each new result. This technique will make the brain work more efficiently, and then we can ask ourselves: “What do I really want?” And avoid unnecessary purchases,” says Natalya Naumova.
By the way, if a person understands that all this does not help him, and still cannot control himself, instead he falls into a nervous state, he should seek help from a psychologist or psychotherapist, depending on the severity of the situation, the expert summarized. above.