Do you look forward to Christmas Shopping or dread the crowds?

For many years consumer researchers viewed crowds negatively. They looked at queues and the impact a crowded store had on consumer satisfaction. It always seemed to be negative. Some started to realize that all crowds were not necessarily bad. A football game without a crowd is not nearly so enjoyable. A nightclub that is half empty loses its “atmosphere”. We walk past empty restaurants and go into crowded ones. Where does Christmas shopping sit for you?

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Recreational Shoppers versus Task shoppers

Some people go shopping as entertainment. They might go with friends or consult them on their mobiles. A trip to the mall or a department store is fun. They may not buy much but it is the experience that matters. The shop staff know well the “just looking” shopper. For recreational shoppers time is not an issue. They are there to pass time. Research shows that females are the most likely to shop recreationally.

The “task shopper” is altogether different. They see shopping as a necessary evil. They focus on ticking the boxes on their carefully prepared list as quickly as possible. Whilst the recreational shopper might impulse buy, the task shopper never does. They are more likely to be men. They are more likely to find the shirt that they like and buy three of them.

We might expect the recreational shopper to enjoy Christmas. However, crowds can interfere with the script. There is no fun to being hustled by other customers to get out of the way. At what point does recreation turn to chore? The task shopper sees the crowds and the people as inefficiency.

Perceived Control and Crowds

There is a big difference between the density of people and crowding. Football games need lots of people but do not feel crowded. Crowding is a psychological state. It stresses the body and can produce physiological effects. Sweating does not just come from the number of people around you. We sweat because we are stressed. Worst still research shows that we feel warmer when surrounded by a crowd. A fun recreational setting with lots of people can become stressful when something unusual happens. Someone faints or someone yells “fire”.

People need to feel in control. For a task shopper the Christmas crowds remove their control. They can’t do what they want. The queues and the crowds stop that. They perceive themselves to be losing control. They are running out of time to get everything done. Recreational shoppers shop at their own pace. They may have only the sketchiest of lists. They can feel in control. Crowds for them can jeopardize the fun.

Elder Christmas Shopping

Older people can suffer physically and mentally in crowds. At a certain point, their mobility may be restricted. They may not need new knees yet but they cannot walk as far. They can be less stable and less able to cope with a crowded escalator. They cannot carry as much and after a while the parcels seem to get heavier. Sitting down becomes an attractive alternative if you can find a chair. (Men swept up into a recreational shopping trip often hunt for that elusive in- store chair).

The complexity of the Christmas environment can impact elderly people psychologically. It is more difficult for them to process what is going on. Wayfinding can suffer even for people who are normally very capable. ( It is not just age, there are many younger people wandering around lost). Control is as important for an older person. In fact it might be more important. A sense of being in control of ones life is, after all, the definition of independence.

How to Enjoy Christmas Shopping: The Four Rules:

What my wife and I always do.

1.Don’t take a list.

2.Buy everything in advance from Amazon.

3. Go with the express purpose of enjoying the experience.

4. Give yourself permission to stop whenever it is no longer fun.

Enjoy the anticipation of Christmas