Shopaholics on the rise in Austria

Dec 21, 2007, 16:16 GMT

Vienna - Four in ten Austrians are potential shopping addicts, an Austrian consumer watchdog said on Friday.

The number of those regarded in danger of becoming shopaholics rose by 10 per cent within one year to 42 per cent, making Austria a leading nation of shopping addicts, a survey the consumer watchdog section of Austria's chamber of labour said.

The tendency was particularly marked in the age group between 25 and 46, where the risk rose from 34 per cent to 46 per cent of those involved.

While income levels did not matter, gender did - around 60 per cent of those affected by the shopping bug were female. In the age group between 14 and 24, every second woman risked becoming a shopping addict.

The reasons were manifold, the survey concluded. Retail therapy served as a compensation for loneliness, or compensation for stress and workplace frustration.

Shopping and depression were closely connected. The decisive factor in shopping addiction was that the affected did not like shopping as much as buying for buying's sake - often without even unpacking their trophies at home.

Like alcoholism, the onset was gradual, the experts warned. The internet played another important role, said the study authors, who interviewed 1,000 Austrians over 14.

Used to credit cards and other methods of cash-free payment, the younger generation's shopping behaviour was rather uninhibited, especially online.

Prevention was necessary in order to prevent an early slide into debt, the study authors said.