Despite my stated intention to embrace a smaller wardrobe and buy less apparel, I’ve been been doing a good bit of online clothes shopping lately. Much of the browsing and clicking feels more habitual or impulsive than intentional. In order to feel more in control of my spending and acquiring, I wanted to try to understand what is driving this behavior, both for me individually and for modern consumers in general.
Lately, my impulse purchases have all been clothes and shoes, and they’ve all been made online. I rarely shop at physical stores anymore, and I don’t feel much of a desire to buy, say, home decor items, sporting goods, or kitchen gadgets. I’ve embraced a less-is-more mindset when it comes to the objects that surround me and fill my physical environment. Why, then, has this mindset not expanded to the objects that adorn my body?
I’m not alone in buying too many clothes. The second-largest category of impulse purchases is clothes, and the fifth-largest is shoes. (The biggest category is food and groceries.) My avoidance of brick-and-mortar stores and strong inclination toward online shopping is apparently unusual, though. The Harvard Business Review reported last year that nearly 80% of clothing purchases still occur in physical stores.
On a personal level, I think that my recent bout of clothes shopping might be a bit of a rebound from massive clean-outs and two rounds of Project 333. It felt good to pare down my wardrobe, and there were a lot of items that were worn, out of style, didn’t fit well, and really needed to go. In general, I liked having fewer choices and spending less time and mental energy planning outfits. However, my last round of Project 333 felt a little constricting. Perhaps I didn’t do a great job of choosing 33 items I truly loved that worked well together in varying kids of weather. I ended up terminating my second round of Project 333 about 3 weeks early. I had already started wanting to buy new clothes and forgetting about things I owned that I had put into storage. The desire for more variety and urge to buy stuff was part of why I decided to call it quits before the end of the three months.
I’m not sure which is the cause and which is the effect, but I feel as though I have been significantly more image-conscious lately. Some of it has to do with strategizing about my career and trying to be deliberate about crafting and refining my personal brand. Most of the items I’ve purchased recently have been professional attire. Whether or not it’s a good thing, image is an important element of success in the legal profession. But there’s a difference between needing to look presentable and put-together and owning a large number of different outfits. There’s something to be said for prioritizing quality over quantity.
I also enjoy the hunt for specific kinds of items and the excitement of getting a good deal on them. My job, body type, and lifestyle combined lead me to seek out specific qualities in clothes (i.e., professional, petite-friendly, machine-washable). I’ve also tried to develop and refine a personal style over the last few years, and I only buy clothes that are ethically manufactured or second-hand. As a result, there are relatively few brands and styles that I will buy. When I see something that checks all the boxes for me, I want to grab it while I can, especially if it’s on consignment at a good price. I’ve also started using sites like eBay and Poshmark, which allow buyers to make offers and negotiate with sellers. This turns buying things into a little bit of a game, and negotiating to get the best deal can be fun. Unfortunately, it can also begin to feel a little addictive.
I’ve noticed that once I buy one or two nice things, I feel a need to upgrade the other things I already own. The older tops already hanging in my closet look worn or cheap next to the beautiful new piece I just acquired. It turns out that there’s a name for this: the Diderot effect. I try to counter this urge to buy more and more by seeking out items that go well with what I already have (avoiding wardrobe orphans) and assessing my entire wardrobe regularly, noting anything that genuinely needs to be replaced or holes to be filled, and trying to limit myself to those needs when I shop.
Boredom also plays a significant role in mindless online shopping. It’s so easy to distract and entertain ourselves by browsing and buying. I know I need to get better at feeling comfortable with and embracing boredom. If I do feel the need to entertain myself, there are far more interesting ways to do it than by buying stuff I don’t need. I’ve been trying to break the impulsive shopping habit by noticing my triggers and replacing them with more desirable responses, like getting up and moving a bit or reaching out to a friend.
Retailers, of course, use plenty of tricks to encourage consumers to click the buy button without thinking twice. I’ve unsubscribed from emails from the stores that tempt me, but targeted ads nevertheless follow me around the internet. Seeing the same item over and over again — like being continuously reminded of that nice dress I saw — makes me much more likely to eventually buy it. I could probably limit my impulse purchases by using an ad-blocker or changing my ad settings. I also try to remind myself that free shipping and returns are meant to lure me to spend more money and aren’t always the good deal they seem to be.
Other reasons that we buy impulsively include the thrill of a bargain, the threat of missing out on a limited-time deal, and buying things for the life we want rather than the life we have. So how can we counteract these powerful behavioral drivers? In addition to the few I’ve mentioned above, I gathered the following suggestions from around the internet:
- Delete shopping apps and back away from social media channels like Pinterest and Instagram that tend to make you want things.
- Put things in your shopping cart and then close the window. Don’t check out right away; force yourself to wait a few hours or a day. Or make a list of what you want and revisit it in 30 days to see if you think those items are still worth your money.
- Before buying something new, make a list of every similar item you already own.
- Ensure that every purchase has a clear purpose. If you aren’t going to use it in the next 30 days, don’t buy it.
- Challenge yourself not to buy anything for a certain amount of time, or to see how long you can go without buying something. Make a game of it.
- Delete all stored credit card information from websites and devices. Make your credit cards physically hard to access — leave them with a trusted friend, lock them in a safe, or freeze them in a bowl of water. Use only cash as much as possible.
- Make a list for what you need before you shop, and only buy what’s on the list. Make this a non-negotiable rule. If you didn’t know you wanted or needed it before it was placed in front of you, then you aren’t allowed to buy it.
- Adopt a one-in, one-out rule. Do not allow yourself to buy anything new unless you get rid of something you already own.
- Think of purchases in terms of time rather than dollars, or in terms of the experiences the same amount of money could buy. Would you rather own more stuff or take a memorable vacation? Would you rather buy a new dress or pay someone to clean your house so you can more fully enjoy your weekend?
- HALT – check in with your emotions and don’t allow yourself to buy anything when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. Instead, address those needs directly. As with many things, a meditation practice can help you begin to notice and identify these feelings.
- Track your spending in detail, and then analyze it. Force yourself to confront exactly how much you are spending on things you don’t really need.
- Make a list of all the non-material things that bring you joy. Consult the list every time you have the urge to shop.
What strategies have you employed to stop yourself from making impulse purchases? Give us your tips and tricks in the comments.
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