Dive Summary:

• A new survey released by Ebates.com asserts that retail therapy is more than a tag line for many American consumers.
• In the recent poll, more than half the online shoppers surveyed claim they have made purchases to “improve their mood”—nearly 65% of women and 40% of men admitted—and a recent report from the University of Michigan supports the theory.
• The University of Michigan report acknowledges that consumers often shop to alleviate stress, but the potential for a negative financial impact upon consumers remains unclear.
   

From the article:

"The sadness-reducing benefits of choosing to buy cannot be explained by the distraction afforded by buying, the pleasure associated with obtaining a new good, or the possibility that people who choose to buy are fundamentally different than people who choose not to buy," the Michigan study found. ...