Shopping is of the least dangerous things you could do while drunk. However, if you are a shoe and apparel enthusiast, there’s a good chance boozy buying could seriously drain your wallet.
This month, comparison platform and information service Finder released results from its Drunk Shopping Survey, which was conducted from Jan. 9 to Feb. 17 and includes insights from 2,179 adults in the U.S. The survey, which was commissioned by Finder and conducted by Qualtrics/SAP, asked people if they made a purchase while under the influence of alcohol in the last 12 months, as well as how much they spent.
According to the Finder survey, roughly one in six Americans (17%) shopped while under the influence of alcohol and spent about $309 each, totaling $14 billion over the last 12 months. Many of them bought shoes, clothing and accessories.
The survey stated 47% of the people polled who admitted to shopping while drunk said they purchased shoes, clothes or accessories. The average spend was $250.
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The shoes, clothes or accessories category was tied for the No. 1 spot in terms of percentage of drunk shoppers with food. Rounding out the top five categories was alcohol (34%), gambling (34%) and cigarettes (34%).
Breaking down drunk shopping habits by gender, the survey revealed 50% of women’s purchases while under the influence were shoes, clothes or accessories, which was the No. 1 category. As for men, drunk shoes, clothes or accessories purchases was 46%. (Men, the survey revealed, were more likely to buy food.)
In terms of generations, Gen Y (people born from 1981–1996) led purchases of shoes, clothes or accessories while drunk (52%), followed by Gen Z (adults born post-1997) at 44%, and both Baby Boomers (anyone born pre-1964) and Gen X (people born from 1965–1980) at 36%.
Regionally, the South shopped for shoes, clothes or accessories the most (51%), followed by the Midwest (48%), the Northeast (44%) and the West (42%).
When it comes to salary, the survey revealed 56% of those polled who earned more than $100,000 shopped for shoes, clothes or accessories, as compared to 46% with a salary of less than $100,000.
