Impulsive purchases and fake discounts: why Russians overpay before the New Year
The New Year period traditionally becomes a time of increased expenses for Russian families. Research shows that, despite attempts to plan a budget in advance, a significant part of purchases are made impulsively — under the influence of marketing techniques, emotions and social pressure. What triggers pushed Russians to unjustified spending the most, what the extra money was spent on, and why gifts became the main item of overspending? — in the Izvestia article.
Marketing as a catalyst for impulse purchases
According to Konstantin Khomchenko, marketing and product management consultant, December has traditionally become an ideal environment for aggressive sales tools. The more difficult the economic situation for a business, the more actively the mechanisms of pressure on the consumer are used.
December is an ideal environment for applying artificial scarcity, false urgency, and social pressure. Formulas like "two pieces left," countdown timers, and notifications about how many people are "watching the product right now" work especially effectively, the expert noted.
According to VTsIOM, 57% of Russians admitted to spontaneous purchases, and it was the New Year period that greatly increased this tendency. A separate role, according to Khomchenko, was played by the so-called fake discounts. According to SuperJob polls, about 75% of Russians considered them a hoax following the results of the last Black Friday actions. A common practice is to raise the price a few weeks before the promotion and formally "lower" it, which led to customers overpaying without realizing it.
Where Russians spend extra money
An analysis of New Year's expenses showed that overspending most often occurred not in basic categories, but in emotionally loaded purchases. These included gifts for show, an excessive festive table, single-use decor, and spontaneous purchases of clothes "for the holiday."
According to the results of the New Year holidays in 2024, the average spending per family amounted to 64,439 rubles, which was a record value for the entire observation period. At the same time, it was gifts that turned out to be the main item of expenditure — an average of 29,868 rubles. The festive leisure accounted for 22,327 rubles, and the New Year's table — 12,244 rubles.
It is significant that while Russians managed to save money on the table and entertainment compared to their plans, the overspending on gifts turned out to be the most significant — on average by almost 7 thousand rubles.
Gender gap and risk groups
As the study showed, most of the financial burden fell on men. According to the results of the last New Year's season, men spent an average of 83,450 rubles on preparing for the holidays, while women spent 48,731 rubles. The most noticeable gap was again on gifts: men spent almost 2.5 times more on them.
Konstantin Khomchenko identifies three main groups that are most vulnerable to New Year's Eve overspending. The first group consists of young people aged 18-27, among whom more than 80% actively make online purchases. The second is parents with children who are under intense pressure from expectations and the desire to "not disappoint the child." The third is people in an emotionally unstable state, for whom shopping becomes a way to cope with stress.
The psychology of the holiday and the effect of "allowed overspending"
Olga Cheremnova, a practicing psychologist, notes that on the eve of the New Year, several powerful psychological mechanisms are activated simultaneously.
— At the end of the year, many people become tired, and shopping begins to serve as an emotional compensation. This helps to reduce anxiety and create a sense of joy in the here and now. There is a feeling: "I have worked hard and I can reward myself," "When, if not now," she explained.
According to the expert, the New Year is perceived as an exception to the rules, which creates the effect of "permitted overspending." Limited offers, deadlines "until December 31," and the fear of missing out on benefits increase emotional arousal and reduce rational control.
Cheremnova also draws attention to the underlying factor — the collective memory of the deficit. Even decades later, it continues to influence behavior, pushing people to buy "in reserve", not always appreciating the real need for things.
Another significant trigger was social comparisons. The desire to fit in with their surroundings, not look worse than others, and meet the expectations of loved ones reinforced their willingness to spend more than planned.
— Shops, advertising, music, and visuals create an atmosphere of comfort and warmth, creating the feeling that shopping is a part of caring and love. As a result, a person often pays not for a product, but for an emotion," the psychologist noted.
How to reduce the risk of unjustified spending
Experts agree that it is difficult to completely avoid emotional purchases in December, but it is quite possible to reduce their volume. Konstantin Khomchenko recommends using the 24-hour rule for unplanned purchases.
"In my experience, 80% of impulsive desires fade away during this time," he says.
He also advises checking the price history, setting a tight budget in advance, and removing saved bank cards from applications. On the business side, he said, companies that rely on transparency benefit in the long run.
— A client who has been deceived once will not return. And in the era of marketplaces and reviews, reputational losses are more expensive than short—term gains," the expert summarizes.
As a result, New Year's overspending turns out to be the result of a complex combination of marketing pressure, psychological expectations, and social dynamics. Even if Russians manage to formally meet the budget, it is gifts and emotional purchases that most often become the "extra", without which the holiday, as it turns out later, could well have taken place.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
