Are You A Sport Shopper?

By ACSH Staff — Nov 27, 2015
Is shopping a sport? A recent paper by academics attempts to make the case that it is for some people. They are not poor or buying 10 gallons of mayonniase because it's cheap, they are just determined to get the best deal on what they want.

Thanksgiving brings food while the day after, called Black Friday, brings shopping. No interest? You are clearly not a "sport shopper", someone who is on a quest to get the best deal and is willing to trample others to get new stuff a day after they gave thanks for the stuff they already have. If you have ever been in a store on Black Friday you know first hand the frenzy that ensues. Why do some seem to thrive in that setting? Scholars from San Francisco State University developed the "Sport Shoppers" term for them. They used surveys, interviews and closet inventories and concluded that sport shoppers are analogous to athletes in that they view shopping as an achievement and working at their skills result in economic benefits and positive self-esteem. No one wants to overpay, so what really sets them apart from other shoppers? They shop with a goal in mind, namely to get exceptional bargains on specific items. Their purchases are not compulsive, nor are they recreational. They are not motivated by financial constraints but they do want to save the most amount of money. They'll buy a designer handbag for $750 and take pride knowing a friend purchased the same one for $1,195.

They 'train' for shopping events to achieve a certain level of expertise, creating a detailed process or system for how they shop and who they do or don't shop with. They desire social approval and are disappointed when their shopping outcomes do not match their expectations or their capabilities. Sound a little ridiculous? It is unless they think only women do this 'sport.' No males were included, and it is a tiny geographical sliver of the U.S.
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