Coronavirus or Another Horrible Virus That is Shopping in the Pandemic Era?
By Eryana,SE.I,MM Lecture, Islamic Economy Institute of Bengkalis (STIE SHARIA)
The coronavirus does not only have an impact on the health sector but also has an impact on the economy, particularly in the process of buying and selling goods after the lockdowns imposed limits on human activities.
Online shopping activities have also increased because of the limitations in human activities by the Movement Control Order which is applied in various regions and that brought consumptive behavior changes. What makes some people feel that their space for movement is limited started with studying from home, working from home and that went into shopping from home. Being at home, in lockdown is the reason consumers have a lot of time to open online shop applications.
With a smartphone so many things that can be done, one of which is shopping online as we have seen, which is currently being done not only by adults but also by children. Even though the child does not have a banking account or card, payment can be made with Cash On Delivery (COD).
Sometimes minors who order goods just did it without thinking about the benefits of the item. This is what makes parents panic because they order goods through online shopping but there is no guarantee of the quality. For that we as parents remain vigilant and always supervise and limit the use of Smartphones so that unwanted events do not take place.
Excessive Shopping
Even though the corona virus has begun to decline, human activities have started to return to normal, but that did not dampen the growth of the digital economy yet. People are still navigating between online and offline purchases while many are looking at online shopping as a permanent fixture. The reason is they find that online shopping is much easier, less time consuming and is safer on the account of the widespread infection from COVID-19.
The shift of habits from offline to online is actually considered efficient in terms of time so that shopping online becomes a habit and necessity. Various cashbak promotions, free shipping costs and attractive offers cause consumers to be tempted and interested so that they become more consumptive, and shop excessively beyond the limit of need.
Consumptive behavior is the desire to consume items that are not really needed by the individual concerned. In psychology, it is known as compulsive buying disorder. People who are trapped in it cannot distinguish between needs and desires but only to achieve satisfaction without any planning.
A Three-Day Wait
There are two aspects that influence a person in shopping; first; buy goods solely based on desire and suddenly without going through planning, Second; purchase of goods based on the emotional nature of only following lifestyle trends.
According to Viktor Frankl, a neurologist and psychiatrist from Austria, an effective waiting period is needed for three days to create a space between the stimulus for goods to be purchased and the response to making a purchase. Before making a purchase try to take time to think for three days or 72 hours, that is the best time to wait.
According to the Indonesian Financial Services Authority (Financial Consultants), Indonesians is increasingly consumptive and are starting to abandon the habit of saving. This is reflected in the decline in the Marginal Prosperity to Save (MPS) in the last three years and the increase in the Marginal Prosperity to Consume (MPC).
To avoid Consumptive/ Shopaholic Behavior, it is important for us to always be wise in shopping. Think carefully every time you want to make a purchase, don’t let the stake become bigger, have fun using the income we get, but don’t have fun more than what we can dispense.
In the book of Tafsir Al-Jalalain by Jalaluddin al-Mahali and Jalaluddin as-Suyuti it is stated, the wasteful people are those who follow the path of Satan. The nature of Satan often invites people to either live miserly or live extravagantly. Live miserly is not recommended, wasteful is also the same.
Consumptive behavior that is not controlled will be a serious threat to financial conditions. We recommend doing the following steps; like, ask yourself whether the item is needed or not. Make a scale of priorities, control excessive desires, uninstall online shopping applications, look for positive activities, cultivate the spirit of saving and always be grateful and refrain from the temptation to shop excessively.
Focus On Needs Not Wants
The coronavirus is causing panic all over the world but when signs are coming that the virus is disappearing, however, it will be wasteful in shopping if the online shopping trends continue along with physical shopping trends post-pandemic.
This can contribute to negative traits and cause stress to increase when people are forced to bear the burden of debt or face the fact that savings are increasingly empty. Don’t let the coronavirus go away without shedding the wasteful habits that can become normal with online shopping.
Shop normally, post-pandemic, focus on needs, not wants. The ‘extravaganza virus’ that occurred during the coronavirus era must be avoided so that our shopping life becomes orderly. Control the family member when shopping online by focusing on the quality and quantity of goods purchased.