Clicking 'add to cart' may spark joy for now. Don't expect it to last
The Straits Times|December 16, 2024
Year-end sales promise deals and delight, but often leave behind clutter, regret and environmental costs. It's time to shop with more intention.
Michelle Lee
Clicking 'add to cart' may spark joy for now. Don't expect it to last

It's that action-packed time of the year - not in terms of work, but of shopping. The end-of-year shopping season typically kicks off on Nov 11, popularly known as Singles Day - and is followed about two weeks later by Black Friday. And in case in-store shopping proves to be too much of a test of stamina, the hunt for online deals continues at Cyber Monday and 12/12 sale events.

And as people rush to stores online and off for their Christmas shopping, the frenzy carries on all the way till Boxing Day, when stores traditionally slash prices after Christmas.

For years, retailers have had a knack for leaning into social phenomena and leveraging them for commercial gain. Black Friday, for instance, started out in the 1950s, when throngs of visitors to Philadelphia the day after Thanksgiving created policing and crowd control concerns.

Retailers quickly turned the presence of crowds into a marketing opportunity, and Black Friday has since become one of the biggest shopping events in the US.

And it seems that consumers have been lapping it up. According to Mastercard's SpendingPulse report, Black Friday sales online grew 14.6 per cent in 2024 from 2023.

While Shopee Singapore declined to disclose overall sales volumes or year-on-year comparisons for the 2024 Singles' Day event, it sold more than 100,000 items in the first 11 minutes of the sale. In Singapore, orders placed on Shopee Live - the e-commerce giant's livestream platform - were 20 times that of an average day.

While some of us might take advantage of these discounts to buy things we would have bought anyway, these events do more than just shift the timing of purchases.

The thrill of getting a good deal - fuelled by the nature of such sales events - often draws us into buying more than we necessarily need.

But why do we consume as much as we do?

SHOPPING FOR PLEASURE

Denne historien er fra December 16, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra December 16, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE STRAITS TIMESSe alt
RED, GREEN AND A HIT ON THE TABLE
The Straits Times

RED, GREEN AND A HIT ON THE TABLE

An imposing whole fish painted with bright red and green sauces graces almost every table at Contramar, a big, airy restaurant in the chic Roma Norte neighborhood of Mexico City.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 16, 2024
Paula Abdul settles sexual assault lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe
The Straits Times

Paula Abdul settles sexual assault lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe

American singer Paula Abdul has settled a lawsuit that she filed against English television producer Nigel Lythgoe, accusing him of sexually assaulting her when they worked together on US reality shows American Idol (2002 to present) and So You Think You Can Dance (2005 to present).

time-read
2 mins  |
December 16, 2024
Astro Bot wins Game of the Year at Game Awards
The Straits Times

Astro Bot wins Game of the Year at Game Awards

Plucky platformer Astro Bot won the top prize at the Game Awards on Dec 12, a crowning achievement for a character who originated as an asset for a PlayStation tech demo.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 16, 2024
Former HK actress Amy Yip in S'pore for Jack Neo's mass walk event
The Straits Times

Former HK actress Amy Yip in S'pore for Jack Neo's mass walk event

Former Hong Kong actress Amy Yip is easing her way back into the public eye after disappearing from the entertainment scene for more than 30 years.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 16, 2024
Obituary Mango chain founder dies in hiking accident
The Straits Times

Obituary Mango chain founder dies in hiking accident

MADRID - Mr Isak Andic (above right), founder of Spanish clothing retailer Mango, one of Europe's largest fashion groups with nearly 2,800 stores worldwide, died on Dec 14 in an accident, the company said.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 16, 2024
Actor Allu Arjun arrested after stampede death at film screening
The Straits Times

Actor Allu Arjun arrested after stampede death at film screening

NEW DELHI - Indian actor Allu Arjun was arrested on Dec 13 after his surprise appearance at a movie screening allegedly prompted a stampede by fans that crushed a woman to death, police and local media said.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 16, 2024
Noriko Ogawa plays with drive and rhythmic exactitude
The Straits Times

Noriko Ogawa plays with drive and rhythmic exactitude

CONCERT

time-read
4 mins  |
December 16, 2024
Donnie Yen directs and stars in HK legal thriller
The Straits Times

Donnie Yen directs and stars in HK legal thriller

The veteran actor pulls together a cast of seasoned professionals for The Prosecutor, which he also produces

time-read
3 mins  |
December 16, 2024
Timely resolutions, reflections and reminders
The Straits Times

Timely resolutions, reflections and reminders

For 2025, the focus is not so much on what I will do differently, but how I will think differently

time-read
4 mins  |
December 16, 2024
JUST FOR FUN...before the school hols end
The Straits Times

JUST FOR FUN...before the school hols end

With two more weeks left before school reopens, make the most of the holidays and create precious memories with your children at these places

time-read
6 mins  |
December 16, 2024