Spring is officially here and once again many of us will feel an urge and a desire to add some new items to our wardrobe, but why is that? Why do spring make us want to shop? Today I explore and explain our spring-shopping-desire to find out why spring is the ultimate shopping season (and why it is so difficult to resist).
Weather is the biggest influence on consumer behaviour
We all know about spring cleaning. That spring give us new energy and that this energy is released through different initiatives such as spring cleaning. An act that make us and our home feel better. But what about spring shopping? Why do we experience this strong need to renew our wardrobe in the second the sun hits our face and flowers start to blossom? According to the British Retail Consortium “weather is the biggest influence on consumer behaviour after the economy”! The weather not only affect consumers emotional state, it also drives their purchase decisions and dictates how much they are willing to pay (www.weatherads.io).
The sun make you want to shop
To be as specific as possible, weather affects the consumer on 3 different levels:
- How they shop
- Their mood
- What they buy
A study from 201 by Kyle B. Murray, revealed that exposure to sunlight dramatically increased levels of consumption as well as the amount spent per item. When spring arrives the days become longer and the temperature raises. All because of the sun. According to The consumer factor.com “exposure to physical warmth activates the concept of emotionel warmth”. Studies find that participants placed in a warm room were willing to pay more for 9 out of 11 products than the group placed in a cold room. And for the qurious ones; the best shopping temperature is around 78 fahrenheit, which is 25,5 celcius.
Spring is a new beginning
During winther Nature closes down and so does our body. We don´t have the same amount of energy and we spend more time at home. When spring arrives it feels like a new beginning. Just like the flowers begin to open up, we do the same. We want to get out of our home-caves and we want to see the world and ourself with a new fresh perspective and the best way to do this is through a new wardrobe. God, that sounds superficial right? It isn´t. The layers we put on our body goes deeper than the physical layer. It goes inside of our body and affect how we feel -what we call the emotionel and psychological level. So when we decide to buy a new jacket, a new cap or a new pair of shoes during spring it isn´t just becuase of the new tempting collections (even though spring collections are always the most tempting ones) -it is because the new items are able to activate and support the transformation you are looking for and going through.
new items are able to activate and support the transformation you are looking for and going through
Weather based marketing campaigns
And yes, ofcourse many brands are aware of the effect weather has on consumer needs. Just by turning on the weather channel, brands are able to see which product to push and when to do it -all based on the weather.
Spring Euphoria is not an illusion
The sun is affecting the level of serotonin in our body and serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters that affects our mood. The medical industry is using serotonin for depression, and drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms are also affecting the serotonin transmitters. So the powerful affect of the sun can be explained through science. Just like the sun affect flowers to bloom -the sun also activate the human body. As humans we are programmet to rest when it is dark and be active when the sun comes out.
And if you wonder why you feel more relaxed during spring -try to listen to the birds. The birds are singing like crazy during spring and when the birds sing it is a sign of peace, because birds only sing when they feel safe and there are no danger near by.
So spring is not only the season for shopping -it is also the season for a new beginning, a better mood and a more relaxed state-of-mind 🙂