By Passant Hisham
KUWAIT: It’s that time of the year when massive crowds of shoppers eagerly gather at the front doors of stores, enticed by the irresistible sales offered by retailers. Black Friday, the most anticipated shopping event, holds a certain allure for people. While the day seems to bring joy to many shopping enthusiasts, some may not be aware of the negative impact it can have on them.
Neuropsychology reveals that events like Black Friday deceive us by inducing a temporary positive effect on our brain chemistry. This occurs as it heightens our excitement, automatically elevating our pleasure dopamine levels when we make a purchase we believe is offered at an exceptional deal.
Shaimaa Morssi, a legal secretary, shared her personal shopping experience, affirming this phenomenon. She mentioned to Kuwait Times that shopping on Black Friday initially makes her feel intensely excited, but later, she finds herself questioning why she bought a seemingly useless product.
Morssi’s case is not unique, as statistics show that after the initial euphoria of a new purchase fades away, many shoppers realize that Black Friday has led them to make impulsive buying decisions. They end up purchasing products they didn’t need in the first place and may even experience regret or remorse later.
Dr Gareth Harvey, a consumer psychologist studying how retailers influence customers, explained this phenomenon to BBC News, stating that Black Friday deals primarily focus on grabbing attention with prominent signs and large discount percentages. "They want you to buy into the product and think it’s worth the money. On Black Friday or during sales, the price or big discount is what you see first. But you’re not concentrating on the product and whether it is what you want,” he said.
Nadine Abdullah, an engineer, shared her experience. "Sometimes, Black Friday forces me to buy products that I don’t usually need at the moment, but I just buy it out of the fear of needing it later and not being able to acquire it when it returns to its original price,” she said. "Sometimes it even tempts me to buy products that I already have.”
What Abdullah described is often part of retailers’ marketing strategies, where they induce anxiety in consumers by insisting that a deal is only valid on a specific day and during a very brief period. This creates a sense of urgency for consumers, enticing them to make a purchase decision out of the fear of missing out.
However, not all consumers easily fall into this trap. Nour Elkhatib shared her approach with Kuwait Times. Before Black Friday, she assesses her essential wardrobe or household needs, lists them on paper, and searches for stores selling these products at the best prices. This is how she controls her purchasing behavior and avoids being pressured into buying unnecessary items, and she recommends others do the same.
It’s advisable for consumers to reflect on their inner motives before making a purchase by asking themselves whether it’s a desire for the item itself, the thrill of buying it, or a fear of missing out. Dr Melissa Norberg, an associate professor in psychology at Macquarie University with expertise in hoarding, panic buying and identifying online shopping problems, emphasized the importance of stopping and thinking before making a purchase, according to The Guardian newspaper.