Never, ever, EVER underestimate the therapeutic benefits of shopping, bubble baths and a perfectly glowing, full-body bronze to show off a great new pair of pumps!
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How does this help YOU? Two ways:
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- It helps you make MORE $$, because the next time you hear a salon guest offer some lame reason why she “can’t” buy a new lotion, tan extender or sunless product, you’ll know that deep down, in that pleasure/reward part of her brain, it would make her feel great to give in and buy it! And:
- It’s your license to shop, girl! Just tear out this article and tuck it away in that Coach bag and the next time your significant other raises an eyebrow as you prance into the house draped in shopping bags, just say, “Baby, here’s why you’re not as happy as me!”
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You can’t fight science!
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Have you ever tried to explain why it feels soooo satisfyingly delightful to give in to that voice inside your head that says, “Oooh. I really NEED this new outfit,” or “Wow. I gotta have this new bag”? What about when you’re trying to choose one new lotion, and the little voice tells you to “just go ahead and buy all three”?
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Some call it “retail therapy,” which on the surface seems like a fancy, Harvard marketing term created to make the act of shopping sound more like self-help than blowing money. But the platinum credit card-yielding army of power-shoppers need not fear – there is a very practical, scientific explanation for what is going on in our brain that makes buying that new outfit, bag or beauty product feel so addictively good.
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There is a very practical, scientific explanation for what is going on in our brain that makes buying that new outfit, bag or beauty product feel so addictively good.
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Our body’s level of serotonin – aka “the happy hormone” or the good-guy neurotransmitter chemical responsible for feelings of well-being and joy – has been proven to surge when we do things like stepping outside into the warm sunshine, exercising, and yes … shopping ‘til we drop!
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So, whether you are shopping for yourself or buying gifts for others, the end result is that you feel good when you do. That’s why we are tempted to shop when we’re stressed out or have had a bad day. Basically, shopping activates the reward center of your brain that triggers the release of serotonin and, just like that: you feel better.
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Even more reasons to shop! The billion-dollar beauty biz counts on research to keep it growing, spending millions every year to dissect and understand our crazy shopping habits. Many of those studies prove that, contrary to popular belief, shopping is NOT spontaneous or thoughtless, nor is it based on emotion; instead, the urge to spend is brought on by activity in a primitive area of the brain that makes us seek new experiences. Not only does this help explain why people go on shopping sprees, but it also explains why salon tanners love buying “new” products.
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So, the next time you’re ringing up a big product sale, remember: you just helped science take its natural course.
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In the January issue: What if your entire staff treated your business like they owned it?
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