Surge in 'doom spending' as Brits seek escape from bad news

An increasing number of Britons are 'doom spending', which involves splashing cash in search of cheer in the face of bad political and financial news, it is claimed.

The rise of buy now pay later (BNPL) finance across online retailers and the high street has boosted instinctive and guilt-free shopping for those looking for an instant buzz, according to a leading consumer spending expert.

At the same time, social media channels featuring influencers pushing fashions and other lifestyle purchases are boosting a wannabe shopping boom.

David Jinks, the Head of Consumer Research at Parcelhero, said the instant hit and relief offered by doom spending comes with a nasty sting in the tail in terms of debt.

He said: "Retail therapy is nothing new, but what is causing increasing concern is the growth of doom spending, defined by the international e-commerce analysts ECDB as the self-soothing behaviour of purchasing products, despite personal financial strain, to relieve psychological stress."

Mr Jinks said: "'The rise of social commerce is fuelling the growth of doom spending. Many of us are in the habit of 'doomscrolling' - watching endless negative news on TikTok and other social media sites despite the fact we end up depressed.

"It's all too easy to then watch influencers marketing products and snap up items we don't really need as a temporary feel-good fix. It's a cycle that is then repeated once the rush from that purchase wears away."

He said a recent study by Credit Karma found that as many as 43 percent of millennials and 35 percent of Gen Zs doom spend to make themselves feel better.

Mr Jinks said: "People aren't just buying non-essential 'nice to haves' such as a new pair of trainers. Increasingly, they are also making more expensive purchases such as cars and holidays.

"The escalating difficulty of obtaining affordable first-time mortgages has caused younger people to give up on their dream of home ownership. Instead, they are splurging their hard-earned savings on something a little more attainable, like a new car or a great experience. It's tempting, but it's short-term thinking."

He warned: "Doom spending is becoming an increasingly easy trap to fall into. Online shopping gives us that buzz with just one click of a button, while staggered payment options from the likes of Klarna and PayPal Credit make it deceptively swift and painless.

"As a result, there is concern that social commerce targets users who may be particularly susceptible to doom spending.

"The #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend, where many millions of users show off the latest items they have bought via the platform and other sites, reveals just how popular this latest form of retail therapy has become. It also gives a false sense of safety in numbers. Just because many other people are indulging in doom spending doesn't mean it's okay."

Mr Jinks said there are there are steps consumers can take to control their purchases. These include careful financial planning to work out what "spare" income - if any - there is each month. Other steps include enabling banking notifications and keeping a spending journal to monitor our purchases.

He said one of the main ways people are weaning themselves off doom spending is by physically travelling to a store and paying in actual hard cash, rather than by a phone app or card.

"There's something about spending "real" money that makes us think twice," he said.

Mr Jinks said: "In the US, steps have been taken to curb the cycle of doom spending. For example, America is introducing new legislation insisting on simple 'click to cancel' subscription requirements and ending regular subscription renewals without active consent from consumers.

"While US and UK consumers may suffer from similar anxieties, there are many examples of differences between the UK and US in terms of consumer laws."