The prominent American psychiatrist and University of Iowa professor Donald W. Black identified distinct phases compulsive shoppers go through. And they echo the scarcity loop. First the shoppers look for good opportunities—places with frequent sales or new items. Next is searching: they enter into the world of stores and malls or online shopping sites. Black noted that these shoppers usually look for unpredictable bargains. It could be a generic handbag selling for $30 instead of $60. Or it could be a luxury bag discounted for a limited time by 40 percent, down to $2,200. And so they buy
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