Consumers in Taiwan spent NT$162 billion (US$5.2 billion) on clothing last year, almost three times the construction cost of the Taipei 101 building, a Greenpeace Taiwan survey on consumer habits and psychology released yesterday showed.
The survey was conducted between November and December last year, with respondents ranging from 20 to 45 years old, project manager Lo Ko-jung (羅可容) said.
The average consumer spent about NT$1,469 per person per month on clothes, with impulse-buying accounting for the majority of the purchases, the survey said.
Social media advertising was a main motivator for consumers, with 82 percent of respondents saying they bought items promoted on Facebook or Instagram.
About 87 percent of respondents said they concealed their purchases from family members, the survey said.
About 54 percent said they had made unnecessary impulse purchases as a result of promotions, such as buy-one-get-one-free or free-delivery offers, while 24 percent said celebrity spokespeople influenced their decision to buy items they did not need, it said.
Of those surveyed, 72 percent said they have not removed the labels from or worn their purchases and 54 percent said they had more clothing than they need.
A majority of respondents, 55 percent, said the pleasure of buying things vanished within 24 hours and about one-third said they felt worse about themselves after the pleasure wore off.
Consumer spending has had a negative influence on Taiwanese, Lo said, with 83 percent of respondents saying they shop online during work or class hours and 22 percent saying they cannot abstain from shopping for more than one week.
“Excessive consumption is a psychological and financial burden for many, with more than seven out of 10 people saying they were in debt because they bought more than they could afford,” Lo said.
People should practice discretion by giving themselves one minute to consider a purchase before making a final decision and think about how often they are likely to use the item, Lo said.
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