Drunk shoppers spent an estimated $14 billion last year. Here’s what they bought
Alcohol hits us all differently. Some people get silly. Others get angry or overly affectionate. And some people pull out their credit cards and start buying things they probably don’t need.
In fact, one in six Americans shops while under the influence, according to a new study from personal finance website Finder. And last year, an estimated 45 million people ran up some $14 billion in drunk purchases.
Food and clothing (including shoes and accessories) were tied for the most frequently purchased items, with 47% of drunk shoppers admitting to buying both of those items. Some 34% bought more alcohol or cigarettes. And the same percentage decided to gamble.
Other purchases were a little more surprising. For example, 19% of the respondents admitted to buying a pet when tipsy. And 16% went shopping for art. That same percentage of people say their buzzed shopping spree ended up with them buying a new car.
Men were most likely to buy under the influence. Just over one-quarter of the men surveyed admitted to boozy impulse buying, while just 10% of women said they had done so. (Men also were far and away the ones buying pets and cars when they were drunk.) A quarter of the men who said they had bought things under the influence said they’d picked up a new gadget or two, versus just 1% of women who shopped drunk.
On average, drunk shoppers each spent $309 last year on these inebriated impulse buys.
Millennials were the group most likely to shop drunk, with 33% of those surveyed saying they had bought under the influence, followed by 28% for Gen Z. Older generations were less likely to pull out their credit cards after imbibing: Just 2% of boomers and 8% of Gen Xers admitted to drunk shopping. Spending habits also varied a bit by generation, with millennials and boomers more likely to book vacations while drunk.
The good news? Drunk shopping seems to be on a downward trend. Last year’s $14 billion total was notably lower than 2020’s $21.6 billion drunk spending spree—and a lot less than 2019’s $39.4 billion.
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