Understanding the role of retail therapy (RT) on body shame, weight preoccupation and body mass index (BMI)

Abstract

The goal of the study is to understand the effect of retail therapy (RT) based on individuals’ body shame, body mass index (BMI) and weight preoccupation. A total of 285 female college students, with an average age of 20.55 years, were collected. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to compare four types of RT (i.e. therapeutic shopping motivation, positive mood reinforcement, negative mood reduction and therapeutic shopping outcomes) based on the degree of body shame, BMI and weight preoccupation. The effect of RT was significantly stronger for individuals who experience body shame. However, based on the individuals’ BMI, the effect of RT did not show statistical differences for any of the subcategories. Only negative mood reduction was significantly stronger for individuals who were highly preoccupied with their weight. Individuals who shop to compensate for personal features may do so to rectify negative perceptions of their weight. Retailers should focus on creating a shopping environment for plus-size consumers and provide a shopping environment that will change their weight perceptions by carrying a broader range of sizes in their stores. Mental health professionals should investigate RT as a modality to treat the symptoms of body image issues.