For many of you shoppers out there, discussing how you grabbed a great deal sort of gives you an adrenaline rush. If you get something at a discount, you consider it more valuable than anything else. You love the thrill while hunting for bargains.
The Genetic Factor
According to researchers, the skill of bargain hunting is usually passed down from one generation to another. A new study, suggests that fondness for discounts would be a result of genetics too. This finding can save lives, aside from being rather interesting. Why is that? Because hunting for bargains and grabbing great deals is a matter of life and death for some.
The Seasonal Frenzy
You certainly have heard about Black Friday, haven’t you? It’s an event that is considered the ultimate by bargain hunters. The National Retail Federation gave estimation that almost a half of the country’s entire population would be diving in Thanksgiving sales. And the lion’s share of them on Black Friday.
Sale Madness Taking Over Humanity
You might have seen those crazy videos where shoppers get into a state of temporary madness. Though it was funny in the beginning, it took a terrifying turn later on. The shoppers turned violent all of a sudden, and there was a stampede. There was a woman who snatched a toy from the hands of a child. Can you beat that? How crazy can you get over sales?
You still have no idea how dangerous these Black Friday sales can be. Many years ago, there was a fatal case that caught the attention of the entire country. A store employee became the victim of a stampede. The shoppers were going mad over the sales, and they trampled the employee to death.
You will find a Black Friday Death Count (dot) website that features all the injuries and deaths at the Black Friday events. As of now, the statistics reveal that there have been 117 cases of injury and 14 deaths. That’s deadly! But, the shoppers would leave everything in the backburner, throw caution to the wind, and run after the magnificent discounts that are on offer.
Being so addicted to deals is something that these shoppers have in their genes. Research suggests that most of them, despite all their efforts, will not be able to overcome their enthusiasm for deals, sales, and discounts. Some might be able to overcome this trait. But, most of you wouldn’t.
The Twin Studies
But what if we tell you that it all boils down to your genes, determined? How did the researchers find that out? They inferred this based on a twin study. In the study, 43 pairs of fraternal twins and 78 pairs of identical twins participated. The twins had to rate their love for deals. Items had some examples such as ‘getting cash discounts gives me a high’ and ‘products with gifts are my favorite,’ etc.
According to the study team, 70 percent of those crazy for bargain hunting have their genes to blame. But, the researchers were somewhat bewildered when they looked at this from a completely different perspective. These sales and discounts are recent in human history. How did the genes come into play?
Bargain Hunting And Genetic Makeup
Bargain hunting can be a new development. But looking out for the best resources happens to be a behavioral pattern that dates back to when humans came into existence. The lion’s share of human history belonged to the hunters and gatherers. This pattern has been programmed in human brains long ago, and that is passed down from one generation to another.
If you take the scientists’ findings into account, the human brain cannot interpret the difference between the old and the times you live in. The human behavior of hunting for good food or fighting with other humans is deeply rooted in the brain, and that gets reflected on Black Friday. Usually, bargain hunting is not that dangerous and deadly as it turns out on Black Friday. Most of the time, hunting for fabulous deals can be enjoyable and is great fun.
So, the next time you go online or to a store for shopping and the discounts excite you, remember it is a genetic behavior. And the shopaholic in you gets from your ancestors from over the generations.