Online Shopping as a Stress-Coping Strategy of Gen Z

Nowadays, online shopping became more popular and in demand. Many people, especially the recent generation have engaged in shopping online. Some people even use it as a stresscoping strategy. According to Yarrow (2023), online shopping or shopping in actual stores is usually mentioned by many people as a type of “mini-mental vacation”. It’s because online shopping for them is a relaxing activity. Therefore, this study determined Gen Z’s motivational, emotional, and behavioral psychological disposition when they use online shopping as a stress-coping strategy. This study also determined the perceived effects of retail therapy on Gen Z. The researcher utilized a quantitative-descriptive approach. The instrument used in this study were the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the validated selfmade questionnaires. The researcher provided the questionnaire through Google Forms. The participants in this study are Gen Z students who are enrolled in Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation in the school year 2022-2023 and are using online shopping as a stress-coping strategy. Based on the results, the majority of Gen Z respondents’ psychological disposition in terms of motivation when they use online shopping as a stresscoping strategy is that they can easily find their desired exact products from online stores. In terms of emotional aspects, they feel like they are rewarding themselves when shopping online. In terms of behavioral aspects, they look for products that they don't normally find in physical stores. The last part revealed that online shopping helps them relieve stress.