About 66% of people who love shopping feel happy, compared to only 50% of those who avoid making purchases. These are the findings of a new joint study by Yakov and Partners and ROMIR, “The new Russian society: can shopping bring happiness?”
The survey was undertaken using the ROMIR Longitudinal System, a social measurement tool that helps analyze public sentiment as it evolves, taking into account all the specifics and segmentation by socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle, values, and other criteria.
Brick-and-mortar stores remain the third most popular place people go to after home and work, with nearly 99% of Russians shopping in-store at least once a week, and more than 31% doing so daily. That said, over 28% of men shop daily, the experts noted. It is noteworthy that the respondents’ income levels have little impact on the frequency of shopping, but as their income grows, they become more interested in gyms and spas.
Discounts are the top source of positive emotions when shopping – they were cited as the most important factor by 55% of the respondents. According to the findings of the study, women are more likely than men to enjoy discounts (58% vs. 48%), while men value visual and physical experience of shopping twice as much as women do (9% vs. 5%).
At the same time, for Russians, the feeling of maximum happiness when shopping comes not fr om buying specific brands or visiting particular stores, but from the purchases in specific categories. Food is the universal category that brings joy to both men and women (46%). Among other categories, women also name clothing and footwear (57%), cosmetics (38%), and jewelry (14%), while men tend to choose auto parts and accessories (25%) and electronics (23%). That said, ready-made food even outranks books in terms of the happiness they bring (12% vs. 7%) for both men and women.
“Although the respondents did not mention shopping as a factor of happiness, more than half turn to it as an affordable driver of happiness. And this seemingly irrational behavior is common for both men and women”
Elena Kuznetsova, Director of Research Institute at Yakov and Partners
At least one emotional reason for shopping was mentioned by 67% of women and 55% of men. Overall, 47% of Russians admit they shop to feel happier, 42% go shopping to have fun, and 38% do so to cope with stress.
“It is important to note that the positive impact from ‘emotional’ shopping lasts for a long time. More than half of Russians (55%) confirm that they have a lasting feeling of happiness after such purchases. This is particularly true for young people aged 18–24, wh ere one in three has the longest feeling of happiness from shopping”
Pavel Egorov, Research Lead at Yakov and Partners’ Research Institute
It is curious how shopping for fun changes with age. According to the experts, as people grow older, they become less interested in shopping. For instance, almost half of the respondents aged 18–24 say they enjoy shopping, compared to only 35% among those aged 55–64.
“The study clearly shows that the majority of Russians of both genders enjoy shopping. Men are also active participants of this process. The survey showed that 60% of men enjoy or like making purchases, compared to 80% among women. This means shopping plays an important emotional role in the lives of Russian people, even if they are not always aware of that. For businesses, understanding the impact of shopping on happiness allows them to respond to consumer needs more efficiently and create more appealing offers”
Inna Karaeva, Executive Director at ROMIR
