Americans spend $14bn drunk shopping – here are the weirdest buys
Booze-loving shoppers have revealed their weirdest drunken online purchases, after it was discovered that Americans spent more than $14 billion in the past year while shopping under the influence.
From five-pound bags of Sour Patch Kids to rubber ducks and Tamagotchis, those who are prone to drunken buying have admitted their ‘inner child’ comes to life.
A staggering 17 percent of Americans admit to shopping while drunk in the past year, spending an average of $309 each on drunken purchases, according to the Finder Drunk Shopping Survey.
But while the huge sums are enough to make anyone’s head spin, it pales in comparison to 2020, when $44.9 billion was spent during the Covid-19 pandemic while drunken consumers were stuck inside.
Yet while some say they’re “not proud of it,” millions of TikTok users watch to find out in real time what their favorite creators have mysteriously bought.
Among the millions of people who like to shop after having a few drinks, some go a step further and reveal their ill-considered purchases to millions of viewers.
From wacky Spartan-style body armor, tasers, and even mini-T-Rex arms for chicks, people have flocked to watch influencers open packages they can’t remember choosing.
Lashawna McNeal, an artist who has amassed more than a million likes on her @lipsietipsie account, said she saw her viewership skyrocket after starting a new segment called, “Things I Bought When I Was Drunk.”
“I once showed my friends my drunken shopping gifts, and they all said they’re funny and I should share them online,” he told DailyMail.com.
The TikTok fan, whose hilarious videos regularly feature a wine class while talking about her purchases, is seen in a video strangely unwrapping a pair of MMA-style gloves.
“I don’t know if this was my wrestling period, if I was going to be a street fighter, I’m not sure, but I bought these,” she said in the clip.
“I also bought a wig for my dog, when you’re drunk it’s so funny,” added the mother of two.
“Shopping drunk is so easy now with Amazon, it’s so fast. Then you forget what it is about!
LaShawna McNeal said her viewership skyrocketed after starting a new segment called: ‘Things I Bought When I Was Drunk’
The mother-of-two revealed that she hilariously bought her dog a wig after a few drinks because it was “so much fun.”
Fellow TikTok shopper Beatrice Vu, who has amassed over 1.4 million likes through her beauty tip videos on @itsbeatricevu, added to DailyMail.com: ‘It definitely stems from the pandemic, when we were stuck indoors. and shopping became a habit.
“But since then, I’ve seen a lot more views after I started sharing my drunken shopping videos.
‘It’s like Christmas, opening presents you don’t know what’s inside!’
In one of her clips, the Miami-based media coordinator admits: “I have problems… I have a habit of ordering things online every time I black out.”
Her boozy shopping sprees have included a magic ball and a Tamagotchi, and she admitted that shopping online often “brings out my inner child.”
“My strangest purchases are usually children’s toys, including a recent PlayStation Gameboy – I always think ‘I have to have this’.”
Miami TikTok creator Beatrice Vu revealed some of her weirdest drunken purchases, including a Tamagotchi and a magical game of eight ball.
Drunken TikTok shopper @donaldsonthe3rd, who has amassed 5.8 million likes on his channel, revealed that he has drunkenly shopped for Spartan-style armor and a taser.
One of the funniest drunk shopping videos to emerge amid the trend came from TikTok influencer @donaldsonthe3rd, who has racked up a whopping 5.8 million likes on his channel.
Appearing in Spartan-style body armor, the 28-year-old reveals that he shopped for alcohol while drunk.
“It happened after a fair amount of alcohol along with Amazon, they just make it too easy.” It’s like you can be your own secret Santa,’ he told DailyMail.com.
He added that his drunken shopping habit began thanks to the Covid lockdowns, leading him to buy numerous quirky items, including a small taser and a pottery wheel, which he insisted is “great for dating.”
“I definitely get more audience from drunken shopping videos, and I’ve even had some brands looking for advertising and promo codes.”
Among the fuzzy-minded online shopping community, Finder’s survey found that men are more than twice as likely to spend money after a few drinks.
And of the 26 percent of men who drank while shopping, unsurprisingly, food topped the list of their favorite purchases at 47 percent.
This was closely followed by other frivolous purchases, such as cigarettes, gambling, and new clothing.
Meanwhile, among the 10 percent of women who admitted to intoxicated shopping, 50 percent prefer shoes, clothing or accessories.
And beyond a new wardrobe, 15 percent said they opted for food, while eight percent simply decided to pay for more alcohol.
More than one in three Millennials (33 percent) engaged in drunken shopping, compared to 28 percent of Gen Z, eight percent of Gen X and just two percent of Baby Boomers.
Midwestern shoppers are also the least likely to buy, with 85 percent saying they haven’t made a single purchase under the influence in the past 12 months.
Meanwhile, one in five consumers on the West Coast said yes, and food topped their favorite purchases while intoxicated with 49 percent compared to 42 percent who bought new wardrobe items.
However, online shopping for alcohol is certainly reserved for the more affluent clientele.
One in four (26 percent) of those who earn more than $100,000 a year say they have purchased alcohol in the past year, compared to just 15 percent of those who earn less.
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