The mushrooming of new malls in and around Jakarta makes shopping irresistible. JP/Ricky Yudhistira
Shopping may no longer be a primary need. In the modern day, shopping means more — a lifestyle and even “therapy”.
Which one do you choose – shopping for labels or shopping for love? Fergie, member of hip-hop band The Black Eyed Peas, belted out her opinion in Labels and Love, the theme song of Sex and the City.
“I already know what my addiction is/I be looking for labels, I ain’t looking for love/I shop for purses while love walks out the door/Don’t cry, buy a bag and get over it.
“And, I’m not concerned with all the politics/It’s a lot of men I know I could find another/What I know is that I’m always happy when I walk out the store, store.”
The lyrics pretty much reflect how shopping can be a “magical” therapy to cure a broken heart, chase away stress and make you happy at the same time. Is it true?
Ayu Dian Kota, 25, said so.
“For me, shopping is a habit and a need. My life won’t be complete if I don’t go shopping, even for just one day. I spend about 65 percent of my day for shopping,” wedding planner-designer-makeup artist Dian told The Jakarta Post.
“Any stress or burdens are gone while I’m shopping. People have their own ways of chasing away stress. I myself choose to shop,” she said.
Tahnee Ayu Anandari, 25, finds happiness in shopping.
“If I’m not in the mood, I will go shopping and the bad mood is gone,” Tahnee says.
“It’s a matter of satisfaction. I feel like I’m satisfied after a shopping spree,” she added.
Tahnee confessed that she had enjoyed shopping since she was in elementary school.
“I used to go out with my aunt, who is a shopaholic. She’s the one who “introduced” me to the shopping world,” she said, giggling.
Since she had limited pocket money when she was younger, she earned extra money by making accessories and selling them to her school mates.
“Then I would use the money for shopping, like buying necklaces and bangles,” she said.
Now, since Tahnee has already made her own money, she goes shopping at least twice a week.
“I like shopping for cosmetics, shoes and clothes,” said the woman, who also owns two restaurants in Jakarta.
“Why cosmetics? I like cosmetics and I’m also a freelance makeup artist, so I need to buy new cosmetics every month,” Tahnee explained, mentioning a noted imported cosmetics brand which she usually buys.
She usually spends Rp 3 million to 4 million for cosmetics, Rp 700,000 to Rp 2.5 million for shoes and Rp 100,000 to Rp 1 million for outfits.
Besides going to malls, she also likes to hunt for items at Senen market and Pasar Baru, both in Central Jakarta, and Gede Bage in Bandung, saying these places offered fancy goods at cheap prices.
Dian got the nickname Miss Jinjing (Miss Shopping) for her hobby.
“Since I run businesses, it’s common to make an appointment with my clients at malls. While waiting for my clients, I usually spend my time shopping,” she said, adding that she likes buying clothes, bags, shoes, accessories and cosmetics.
Dian usually spends at least Rp 2 million (US$221) for a one-stop shopping stint.
“But I once spent around Rp 18 million to buy a bag and two pairs of shoes. I also shop when I vacation overseas. I can spend around Rp 25 million for shopping abroad,” she said.
Big sale season means busy time for Dian, and there are times when it is hard for her to carry all of her shopping bags and is forced to ask her assistant to carry them.
Galuh, 34, is the type of shopper who enjoys shopping during sale season.
Every Friday she takes a look at certain department stores in Jakarta to hunt for shoes, bags and clothes. “They don’t always offer big sales, but a 20 or 30 percent discount is not bad at all,” said Galuh, who keeps her friends updated on sale info.
“During big sales event, I often get fashion items at very reasonable prices. For instance, I recently bought a branded bag which normally costs Rp 900,000 for around Rp 150,000.”
Constantly buying and buying, Dian, Tahnee and Galuh sometimes discover that some of the things they have bought remain unused. Galuh says she prefers to give the items away, while Dian and Tahnee usually organize bazaars or garage sales at home.
Their spending habits may get them into trouble.
“My friends are all the same as I am. They are shopaholics too,” said Dian. “My mother is more of a shopaholic than I am. It is my boyfriend who sometimes complains about my hobby. He is confused because I often buy things that I don’t really need.”
Unlike Dian, Tahnee was warned by her friends and mother about her addiction.
“My best friends even remember all things that I’ve already bought and sometimes they ‘forbid’ me from buying an outfit because I already have one in my closet. I myself don’t remember that,” she said.
Almost every woman loves shopping, but no one wants to end up like Rebecca “Becky” Bloomwood in Shopie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Becky’s uncontrollable shopping habit – shopping for designer clothes, shoes and bags using her credit cards without considering the consequences – finally drags her into a series of financial and personal problems.
But Dian, Tahnee and Galuh claim they have their own trick for avoiding financial problems –preventing themselves from using credit cards.
Dian, for instance, has opened a special account for shopping to satisfy her needs and prefers to pay in cash to control her finances.
“I really don’t allocate how much I will spend for shopping, as long as I still have money in my savings, I will go for it,” she says.
Tahnee and Galuh choose to pay with a debit card and cash respectively.
“I prefer using a debit card because I’m reluctant to bring a large amount of cash in my purse. Debit cards are simple because the payments are deducted from our accounts,” said Tahnee. “If I use credit cards, I’m worried that my purchases will be uncontrollable.”
Andi Ardillah, a family physiologist, believes mushrooming shopping malls are one of the factors fostering shopping addictions.
“People tend to have a strong drive to shop because they can easily find malls anywhere in the city,” she said.
She said education is important for instructing children to be patient and foster greater control.
“Parents should not always buy their kids all the things they want. They should tell their children to only buy the things they really need.”
Shopping addiction, however, is “harmless” as long as a person is financially capable.
“If you have the money, that’s fine. But if you cannot afford to pay the bills, it may lead to financial problems.”
