Are you an online shopaholic?

With customers being spoilt for convenience, choice and prices, online shopping addiction is on the rise, finds Lisa Antao. 

If you regularly watch TV, there's no way you can miss those ads by e-shopping websites. Every website looks tempting — with promises of crazy deals, fantastic discounts, amazing variety, free home delivery and in some cases, even exchange offers and 30-day money guarantee. And why just TV? The internet, radio and print media have also joined the bandwagon. Thanks to this publicity overdrive, there's a new breed of online shoppers, many of whom are addicted to it. And for those who haven't tried it, the question is, for how long can you resist the lure? 

Hooked to e-shopping
Suzanne Choksi (name changed), a 24-year-old PR executive, proudly states that she's hooked to online shopping. "If there's a superlative to addiction, that's what I have. I have this weird idea of online retail therapy, so whenever I am bored or depressed, I take to shopping. I shop for apparels, jewellery, accessories, electronics and also household items. I spend a few thousand rupees every month, but there are times I've spent Rs 7,000 on a single purchase," says she. Suzanne has overspent many times, but that hasn't helped curb her temptation. "I have even got my friends addicted to online shopping. I was lured by TV and internet ads. That's how I got introduced to it. When I realised it's safe, reliable and quick shopping, I started trying it more. Now, I'm spending most of my money on it," she confesses. 

Men are hooked, too
There's this stereotype that only women crave retail therapy. That's far from true. Raj Kanwar, the 42-year-old CEO of a renowned firm in the city, is an online shopping addict. Recalls Dr Desai, "Even while working, Raj used to visit online shopping websites as he enjoyed window shopping there. His purchases mainly comprised gadgets, clothes and shoes." 

While handling Raj's case, Hetal understood that he had co-related issues like loneliness (due to bad relationships), low self-esteem and unhealthy lifestyle. He overcompensated for whatever he was lacking by shopping impulsively. And he did it online because he had no time to visit malls or stores. He loved cheap deals and gifting all those goodies to family members to gain their attention. On the other hand, his was so obsessed with online shopping that he did not even have time for family. 

Underlying Causes
Apart from tempting offers, the convenience of using plastic money (credit card) lures a lot of people, says Dr Hetal Desai. Low emotional phase, lack of time, no work-life balance, stress and quick buys are the other reasons. Many online shopaholics try to conceal their addiction from family and close friends. 

Trade speak
Susan Aniyan, assistant manager (customer service) at an online shopping website, Zivame that exclusively sells lingerie, says that their firm has witnessed tremendous growth in the number of customers. "When I joined this firm about months ago, we used to get around 100-150 customers per day. But now, it has increased to more than a lakh," says she. The sheer variety of brands and sizes — especially the bigger ones — and a good customer service are the reasons behind this success, says Aniyan. 

She is not surprised people are addicted to online shopping. "Once they understand how convenient it is, they're back again," says she. As for consumer demographics, though a majority of customers are working women, there are regular male shoppers as well. Majority of them are from cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Ahmedabad. 

How to curb your addiction
Corporate wellness expert  Hetal Desai shares the following tips:
Keep a list of tasks and activities to be done. Ensure there's not much free time for online shopping.
Add products to your wish list or shopping cart, but delay buying. Review the list after a few days and you might end up striking off most items.
Practise dynamic office yoga and breathing exercises to release negative emotions and stress.
Keep a check on your credit cards. Minimise their use and number to ensure less financial stress.
Use debit cards or cash-on-delivery mode for purchase.
Deal with emotions through healthy communication with partner, family and friends.