Retail Therapy: Exploring the Influence of Perceived Stress, Subjective Well-being, Gender, and Age among Indian Consumers

Abstract

Retail therapy, defined as shopping for mood alleviation is a phenomenon that has garnered significant attention in popular culture. There are a number of psychological factors that could impact individuals’ engagement in retail therapy. The present study investigates the relationship between psychological factors such as perceived stress and subjective well-being and retail therapy. It also aims to understand how gender and age could affect retail therapy. The results of surveys conducted on 221 Indian participants demonstrated that individuals with higher perceived stress levels were more likely to engage in retail therapy, and individuals who scored high on subjective well-being had a lesser chance of engaging in retail therapy. In addition, it was seen that women have a higher tendency to engage in retail therapy with reference to their male counterpart. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in retail therapy behaviours with regards to age. In conclusion, this study provides an understanding of retail therapy behaviour in the context of Indian society.