Pandemic stress causing spike in emotional shopping sprees – TribLIVE

With the stress of the covid-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions, it’s no surprise that people are looking for ways to cope.

For many in Pennsylvania — and across the country — shopping has become one of those coping mechanisms.

Nearly half of Pennsylvanians admitted to “emotional spending” during the pandemic, according to a survey from Rehabs.com, a provider of rehabilitation and addiction treatment resources.

The organization defined emotional spending as when “you buy something you might not necessarily need in order to ease your emotions.”

In a poll of 3,040 Pennsylvanians, 47% admitted to emotional spending during the pandemic. That’s under the national average of 51%.

At Nutthouse Boutique in Lower Burrell, sales associate Madison Walker said she has witnessed these shopping trends firsthand.

“I feel like a lot of people have been coming to the store more because they need to get out, and they feel better to buy themselves something, to take that feeling of the pandemic away,” she said. “They are coming in to kind of cope and
do something to feel better about themselves during these times.”

Walker said she has felt that temptation herself.

“For me, personally, I think one of my favorite things to do is shopping,” she said.

The shop recently launched an app, which has sent their online sales skyrocketing, she said.

A pandemic pick-me-up

Online shopping has been a easy pick-me-up during the pandemic. Without leaving the house, people can buy treats to be delivered to their front porch in an attempt to alleviate pandemic-related anxiety or the boredom of spending more time than usual at home.

One in five Pennsylvanians shop online “specifically to cheer themselves up” when they feel stressed, the poll revealed.

The poll indicated that 60% of women and 47% of men were prone to emotional spending.

Shopping for alcohol also has been a prevalent way of dealing with the pandemic.

Nationally, 30% of survey respondents said that have treated themselves to more expensive, higher-quality alcohol during the lockdown, hoping it would cheer them up.

The survey showed that 15% of people admitted to shopping while drunk during the lockdown.

Nearly a third of people said they tend to treat themselves to online shopping sprees when they feel low.

About half of respondents said they spent more money shopping online as a direct result of emotional stress caused by the pandemic.

Even if a shopping spree offers only a temporary reprieve, many use it as a way to deal with pandemic problems, ranging from feelings of isolation from loved ones, personal loss or uncertainty about the future.

What people buy has changed

At Penelope’s, a gift shop in Greensburg, shopping habits seem to reflect larger changes in the way people go about their daily lives, said owner Mary Wilmes.

More people have been buying items from their gourmet food line, likely because more people are eating at home during the pandemic.

Other popular items include spring wreaths and decorative table cloths.

“It’s about being at home and making a home a really happy place to be since we’re there so much,” she said.

Wilmes, too, said she’s noticed customers using shopping trips to cope during the pandemic.

“Some people are shopping because shopping makes them feel better,” she said.

Wilmes said other shoppers say they are coming to the store because they are eager to support local businesses.

Shopping at small businesses, she said, is a quick and easy way for people to get out of the house without encountering large crowds.

“It’s an experience that makes them feel good,” Wilmes said.