Expert on shopping madness Why we let ourselves be seduced on Black Friday - and what FOMO has to do with it
On Black Friday, retailers lure shoppers online and in stores with supposedly high discounts.
Image: Keystone/EPA/TOLGA AKMEN
Patrick Dütschler from the Swiss Consumer Association explains why most people are keen to secure good deals on Black Friday: "Our brains love bargains because they release happiness hormones."
Image: zVg
On Black Friday, retailers lure shoppers online and in stores with supposedly high discounts.
Image: Keystone/EPA/TOLGA AKMEN
Patrick Dütschler from the Swiss Consumer Association explains why most people are keen to secure good deals on Black Friday: "Our brains love bargains because they release happiness hormones."
Image: zVg
Today is Black Friday - and the bargain hunt is on. blue News asked an expert why almost everyone wants to get in on the big shopping day.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Black Friday creates stress due to time pressure and FOMO - Fear of Missing Out - which often leads to impulsive purchases that are not always necessary or sensible.
- According to Patrick Dütschler from the Swiss Consumer Association, clear preparation, price comparisons and a fixed budget help to avoid unnecessary impulse purchases.
- Many discounts are often just clever marketing, as the expert explains.
- To avoid the pressure to spend, it is advisable to consciously stay offline.
On Black Friday, retailers entice customers with supposedly big discounts. For many people, this flips a switch - and they have to buy something.
Why is the hunt for good deals on the international shopping event of the year such a must for many people? "Our brains love bargains because they release happiness hormones. Time pressure - 'only today' - and the fear of missing out - also known as FOMO, which stands for Fear of Missing Out - put us under stress," explains Patrick Dütschler, Head of the Swiss Consumers' Association office.
Black Friday feels like a big event in which everyone takes part. As a result, many people buy things spontaneously without giving it much thought. Dütschler says: "Many people buy things that they don't really need - just to be there."
Prepare well to avoid making unnecessary impulse purchases
Preparation is the most important thing to avoid being unwittingly tempted. "Think carefully about what you really need beforehand, compare prices and set a fixed budget," recommends the expert.
That way, you only buy what makes sense and don't buy something because it looks "cheap". "It's also important to know that many discounts come back later, for example in the run-up to Christmas."
The question often arises as to whether offers are really worthwhile bargains or just clever marketing. As a study conducted by DemoSCOPE on behalf of blackfridaydeals.ch shows, the Swiss are not quite so convinced by Black Friday this year.
Only seven percent of the 1,000 participants are completely satisfied with the offers, according to a press release. Many Black Friday offers are seen as "increasingly misleading" and are only considered "good" at first glance.
"Some discounts are less impressive than they appear"
According to Dütschler, however, there are actually "some real bargains". Especially when it comes to technical devices or older models. At the same time, however, a lot of it is clever marketing.
Dütschler knows: "Retailers often only offer a small proportion of their products at a lower price, and some discounts are less impressive than they appear." The whole Black Friday atmosphere makes it easy to get carried away.
Stay offline to avoid temptation
A third of consumers stated in the survey that they had occasionally seen attractive deals. Another third believe that there are no good Black Friday deals at all this year. The rest believe that there were better bargains in the past.
So if you want to stay away from all the madness and not get carried away, it's best to "consciously stay offline", according to Dütschler. This means: "Don't look at any advertising, don't read any newsletters and avoid social media so as not to get caught up in the shopping frenzy."
Alternatively, the day can be used for relaxed shopping in small, local stores or to look at sustainable and long-lasting products that really make sense.
