3-On Your Side: Warehouse Store Addiction
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- They're stocked with everything from diapers to tires, milk to paper towels. But does bigger really mean better when it comes to superstore shopping? 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan finds that while warehouse stores can offer great deals when buying in bulk, some over zealous shoppers may be taking it a bit too far.
All you came in for was ketchup but how can you resist? The big screen TV's, the clothes, jumbo boxes of food at a fraction of the regular cost. Shopper Maureen McMahon says, "You see the products on the shelves and you think 'oh that's a really good bargain."
But for some, the bargains found in warehouse shopping can become addictive. Psychologist Ramani Durvasula says, "Nobody needs gallons of mayo and I'm concerned. I'm concerned if you walk off with a gallon of mayonnaise and you're not trying to feed a fire department or lots of children."
Consider your spending habits at big box stores like BJ's, Costco and Sam's Club. McMahon says, "You think oh maybe I need this, or you see this and then you buy all sorts of things you don't need." She adds, "Right now we have like 16 bottles of toilet bowl cleaner cause I keep forgetting that I already have it at home."
So shoppers beware. You need to be focused anytime you walk into a warehouse store. Dr. Durvasula says, "Know who you're buying for. If something's perishable, are you really going to want to eat potatoes 8 times a week? Probably not."
It's when you throw out those items, that the deal you thought you were getting disappears. So while warehouse stores can save money, but you need to use common sense, especially when it comes to perishable items. You may want to try splitting what you buy with family and friends. Because buying too much can also lead to other wholesale habits like over-eating, and hording.
Reported by Jim Donovan, CBS 3
