One in 20 Belgians addicted to shopping, study shows

About one in 20 Belgians is addicted to shopping, according to a PhD study carried out at the Free University of Brussels (VUB). Extensive and detailed surveys were conducted to determine current shopping behaviour for the study.

Some 5% of people were shown to have a shopping addiction. There are, however, different levels of addiction, with some respondents feeling an urge to buy something when online or in the area of shops and some facing a much more serious compulsion.

Malaika Brengman, a professor in consumer behaviour at VUB, said that increasingly more people are becoming seriously addicted “because of retail campaigns like Black Friday but also because you can now buy something at any moment with your smartphone”.

Shopping addicts, said Brengman, “are generally people with a low self-esteem or who suffer from depression and feel better when they can buy something. That feeling is caused by a hormone that is briefly released in the brain. You can compare it to drug use.”

But, she cautioned, shopping addicts usually feel guilty after making the purchases. The addiction can lead to financial difficulties, concentration problems and relationship issues. But therapy, said Brengman, can help.

“We look for the cause of the problem and find other ways for the person to deal with stress,” said Helene Key of Antwerp addiction recovery centre SolutionS. Addicts are also advised to pay only with cash, make shopping lists and take somebody along when shopping.

Photo: Ingimage