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I'm in e-commerce, and reading through this thread I think many people have the misconception that people make purchases to solve problems and want that solutio

I'm in e-commerce, and reading through this thread I think many people have the misconception that people make purchases to solve problems and want that solution to last as long as possible. In reality, and this is something I spent a long time coming to terms with, much shopping is done because it's fun. Spending money isn't a cost - it's the whole point of the exercise.

TulliusCicero 5y ago
It's possible for both to be true. People make purchases that are fun, and they'd like said purchases to solve some problem (and preferably with decent quality). Like, when I make silly gadget purchases, yes it's fun to acquire the gadgets, but I'd like them to be good products that last too.
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  >but I'd like them to be good products that last too. How much does this really affect your purchase, though? If you bought a Garmin watch that failed after 3 years, would you buy the new model? What if the same thing happened with your car and they refused to fix it? Would you buy the same brand again, or would you tell every single person you know to avoid them like the plague? I think the thing is, that above $X, people really do expect a product to solve a problem effectively. Under that amount, though, much of what people spend is just frittered away.
  - wccrawford 5y ago
    This happened to me with Fitbit. The first lasted longer than 3 years, and I was happy with that. The second didn't, and I wasn't... But I bought another. When that failed early, too, I gave up on them. For a tool, I don't want it to fail on me, ever. I don't enjoy learning to use a new tool for the same old purpose. I want it to just keep working. When I'm ready for a new way of that tool working, I seek it out. I do not want it forced on me. That said, I also treat clothes as a tool. I buy new ones when I want something different, but until then I want them to continue as they had. When I'm sick of them or they wear out, I use them for woodworking, painting, etc, until they finally just are too ugly or damaged.
  - tfigment 5y ago
    Ihave a phone and tablet rhat i'm still fine with but both no longer get security updates. its hare to root these things to replace the OS. I thought one was going to update old firmware longer than it did. Companies have learned force obsolescence makes them more money; they are not responsible for helping dispose of the devices. Seems like we don't get much choice other than to not play the game I guess.
sangnoir 5y ago
Did shopping become fun because fast-fashion clothes were cheap, or did clothes become cheap because shopping is fun? I'm also e-commerce-adjacent, but I believe fast-fashion (especially synthetics) is bad for humanity. Sure, people are making loads of money[1], but it's an ecological disaster in the making. 1. Me included, but only getting a little. Shein is getting ALL the money.
- vasco 5y ago
  Fast fashion only opens the door for "fun" to be had be normal people. Rich people going on a buying spree has generally always been a thing.
  - McMiniBurger 5y ago
    - AussieWog93 5y ago
      >Maybe major brands should research & launch clothes with "eco-friendly cloth-fiber" that disintegrates / can be recycled / etc? Such as cotton?
      - rightbyte 5y ago
        Or wool. Maybe plastics should just be banned for any cloths but like shoes, jackets and cover pants. That would solve much of the long term waste problem.
        sokoloff 5y ago
        Plastic buttons are pretty damn useful.
        rightbyte 5y ago
        Buttons can be made in metal (for snapping) or wood (for "sloting"). Zippers can be made in metal (as good and expensive ones are). Like elastic cloths of any kind are where a plastics ban would hurt. Velcro ... For most normal cloths I believe there would be no problems.
tiborsaas 5y ago
I'm in the minority then, I hate shopping it only brings me stress and not joy. I think I haven't bought new clothes (except underwear) in the past two years.
- CamelCaseName 5y ago
  I suspect you're in the majority of shoppers, but the minority when weighted by dollars spent, which is OP's chief concern.
mc32 5y ago
I think some shopping is ‘security’ and ‘self-sufficiency’ impulses. However, at some point this tendency is exploited (leveraged) by industry and augmented by the tendency to peer pressure. Kids made fun of other kids who wore the same clothes over and over, for example. Not all groups succumbed to this, of course. The ‘punk’ and ‘metal’ kids didn’t get into that as much as others (though they each had their own ‘uniforms’) but they tended to be more static and you wore what you had… you didn’t need the latest Nikes (or these days Canada Goose) or what have you.

TulliusCicero 5y ago

It's possible for both to be true. People make purchases that are fun, and they'd like said purchases to solve some problem (and preferably with decent quality). Like, when I make silly gadget purchases, yes it's fun to acquire the gadgets, but I'd like them to be good products that last too.

AussieWog93 5y ago
>but I'd like them to be good products that last too. How much does this really affect your purchase, though? If you bought a Garmin watch that failed after 3 years, would you buy the new model? What if the same thing happened with your car and they refused to fix it? Would you buy the same brand again, or would you tell every single person you know to avoid them like the plague? I think the thing is, that above $X, people really do expect a product to solve a problem effectively. Under that amount, though, much of what people spend is just frittered away.
- wccrawford 5y ago
  This happened to me with Fitbit. The first lasted longer than 3 years, and I was happy with that. The second didn't, and I wasn't... But I bought another. When that failed early, too, I gave up on them. For a tool, I don't want it to fail on me, ever. I don't enjoy learning to use a new tool for the same old purpose. I want it to just keep working. When I'm ready for a new way of that tool working, I seek it out. I do not want it forced on me. That said, I also treat clothes as a tool. I buy new ones when I want something different, but until then I want them to continue as they had. When I'm sick of them or they wear out, I use them for woodworking, painting, etc, until they finally just are too ugly or damaged.
- tfigment 5y ago
  Ihave a phone and tablet rhat i'm still fine with but both no longer get security updates. its hare to root these things to replace the OS. I thought one was going to update old firmware longer than it did. Companies have learned force obsolescence makes them more money; they are not responsible for helping dispose of the devices. Seems like we don't get much choice other than to not play the game I guess.

sangnoir 5y ago

Did shopping become fun because fast-fashion clothes were cheap, or did clothes become cheap because shopping is fun? I'm also e-commerce-adjacent, but I believe fast-fashion (especially synthetics) is bad for humanity. Sure, people are making loads of money[1], but it's an ecological disaster in the making. 1. Me included, but only getting a little. Shein is getting ALL the money.

vasco 5y ago
Fast fashion only opens the door for "fun" to be had be normal people. Rich people going on a buying spree has generally always been a thing.
- McMiniBurger 5y ago
  - AussieWog93 5y ago
    >Maybe major brands should research & launch clothes with "eco-friendly cloth-fiber" that disintegrates / can be recycled / etc? Such as cotton?
    - rightbyte 5y ago
      Or wool. Maybe plastics should just be banned for any cloths but like shoes, jackets and cover pants. That would solve much of the long term waste problem.
      - sokoloff 5y ago
        Plastic buttons are pretty damn useful.
        rightbyte 5y ago
        Buttons can be made in metal (for snapping) or wood (for "sloting"). Zippers can be made in metal (as good and expensive ones are). Like elastic cloths of any kind are where a plastics ban would hurt. Velcro ... For most normal cloths I believe there would be no problems.

tiborsaas 5y ago

I'm in the minority then, I hate shopping it only brings me stress and not joy. I think I haven't bought new clothes (except underwear) in the past two years.

CamelCaseName 5y ago
I suspect you're in the majority of shoppers, but the minority when weighted by dollars spent, which is OP's chief concern.

mc32 5y ago

I think some shopping is ‘security’ and ‘self-sufficiency’ impulses. However, at some point this tendency is exploited (leveraged) by industry and augmented by the tendency to peer pressure. Kids made fun of other kids who wore the same clothes over and over, for example. Not all groups succumbed to this, of course. The ‘punk’ and ‘metal’ kids didn’t get into that as much as others (though they each had their own ‘uniforms’) but they tended to be more static and you wore what you had… you didn’t need the latest Nikes (or these days Canada Goose) or what have you.