On the afternoon of Friday September 14, 2001, I walked into the Urban Outfitters on M Street in Georgetown, Washington, DC. Without a clear purpose, I bought a poster and a shirt. As my friends and I walked back to our apartment, I showed my friends the poster I purchased; a 1940s cityscape of New York with a plane flying over. We all marveled at the irony of the image as we passed by National Guard tanks stationed on each block.
During my 50 days of Covid-19 quarantine, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I navigated September 11, 2001, as well as how I’ve navigated other traumatic and vulnerable times in my life. From September 11th to my father’s sudden death to today’s sheltering in place, shopping (aimlessly or with purpose) is a key action in my therapeutic process. In fact, recent data from Tinuiti shows that on April 15, 2020, one of the first days Covid-19 stimulus payments hit bank accounts, consumer spending rivaled Black Friday. What may be surprising to some is that my therapeutic process has a name.
The ‘lipstick effect’ describes how consumers spend money on small indulgences during times of personal challenge and economic downturns. While these indulgences may be small, the spending signals that consumerism and capitalism are cultural elements of the American psyche.
The roots of the ‘lipstick effect can be traced back to the Great Depression when, although out of work and limited financially, Americans continued to shop – most notably in the cosmetics category.
