Has being in certain shops ever had weird effects on you?

[Lencoboy]

I do get panic attacks in public stores, but I have awful agoraphobia so its a struggle for me to go out anyway. I can't go into stores where there are high pressure salesmen.

Don't get me started on high-pressure salesmen, whether in shops, or on market stalls, as the really are one of the biggest banes of my life, especially those who accost you as soon as you set foot in their store or approach their market stall literally telling you what to buy.

I find them extremely intimidating and disrespectful, especially the way some of them invade my personal space. I on many occasions have felt very tempted to tell them to eff off and leave me alone, but of course that would have only landed me in bother, especially as shop staff being on the receiving end of abuse from customers seems to be the subject of a moral panic these days, but sometimes (dare I say it) I wonder if they often ask for it themselves, especially those arsy, pushy, arrogant and extremely unhelpful shop staff members with a very bad attitude who seem to revel in treating us customers with contempt, even if we've done nothing wrong.

Hardly surprising many shops have been struggling over the past 20 years or so. At least one of the main advantages of online shopping is not being intimidated by those pushy/stroppy barstewards of shop staff.

[Lencoboy]

Some charity shops make me feel a bit uncomfortable, particularly the ones with a putrid musty stench of sometimes unwashed old clothes, bedding stuff, etc.

One of our local chazzas (Oxfam I think) had this really pushy old biddy working behind the till on most days some years back, and she accosted me the one day I walked in there saying 'There's a nice pair of jeans over there in the menswear section'!

On that particular occasion IIRC I went in to look at what vinyl records they had on sale and weren't even remotely interesting in buying jeans that day.

Sometimes they used to put price stickers on the centre labels of 45s that were in non-picture sleeves that often ended up taking half the label with them when I tried to peel them off!

Totally clueless and indeed a liability IMO!

[WiredIncorrectly]

Supermarkets with florescent lights will always cause me to feel some level of panic. After a couple of minutes I feel like my senses are being bombarded (mostly my eyes) and everything moves in fast motion. There are some studies on these lights for causing anxiety.

[Lencoboy]

Supermarkets with florescent lights will always cause me to feel some level of panic. After a couple of minutes I feel like my senses are being bombarded (mostly my eyes) and everything moves in fast motion. There are some studies on these lights for causing anxiety.

Yes, I've read various articles on that issue.

Sadly though, it still seems to be woefully overlooked by many building interior designers.

It's as if some people deliberately like to design places and environments full of sensory overload-inducing sources, the usual excuse being the assumption 'that's what the majority of the population want these days'!

I certainly don't want to be constantly bombarded with endless flashing lights/images, loud noises and the thump, thump, thump of rave and rap-type music, constant adverts, logos, etc plastered all over the place, ad infinitum.

Though not shops per se, tenpin bowling alleys are absolute hellholes for me what with all the constant din of balls hitting the wooden flooring of the lanes and knocking the skittles out, loud cheering when someone gets a full strike, added to that the further din from the myriad of noises gaming machines emit, together with the plethora of flashing lights the also often sport, and other racket from blowing fans, background music played at high volume etc (especially if it's songs I don't like), and not forgetting hyperactive kids running riot throughout the place!

They would be even worse later in the evenings when full of drunkards constantly shouting and swearing loudly, especially the footie hooligan types!

[Fishmanpa]

I will say this though... Since the pandemic, shopping has been stressful, especially when encountering people who don't wear masks or even make an attempt at social distancing.

The wife and I have made it a habit the last year to make sure we get to the stores when they open and there are less people. It's proved to be beneficial in several ways. Firstly, there are less people and secondly, the shelves are stocked so we don't have to be concerned with things being out of stock (remember the TP dilemma?). We make a list and go in with a purpose. 'Shopping' per se' is not an option. We go in, get what we need to get and get out! But as far as a certain type of store being stressful? Nope... not even in the least.

FMP

[Lencoboy]

I will say this though... Since the pandemic, shopping has been stressful, especially when encountering people who don't wear masks or even make an attempt at social distancing.

The wife and I have made it a habit the last year to make sure we get to the stores when they open and there are less people. It's proved to be beneficial in several ways. Firstly, there are less people and secondly, the shelves are stocked so we don't have to be concerned with things being out of stock (remember the TP dilemma?). We make a list and go in with a purpose. 'Shopping' per se' is not an option. We go in, get what we need to get and get out! But as far as a certain type of store being stressful? Nope... not even in the least.

FMP

It really astounds me, even pre-pandemic, how certain individuals derive immense pleasure from epic shopping expeditions, and even worse, having to go as an entire family.

I have painful memories of having to go through that whole rigmarole most Saturdays when I was a kid, well into the late 80s, which often ended in me having epic meltdowns and tantrums, and even my dad flipping out at me, not to mention the epic rows he and my mom ended up having on such occasions.

My mom's ritual Saturday family shopping 'fix' when I was a kid obviously proved to be a massive hindrance to my dad, let alone me and my younger brother.

Perhaps the constant 'sensory overload' stuff in shopping environments also got to him, compounded by having to contend with two cranky kids at the same time.

Strangely a lot of the SO sources in shopping environments seemed to go over my mom's head, but me and my brother playing up were her biggest hindrance on such occasions.

I agree that Covid is an even greater hindrance right now, which means we have to keep our wits about us all the more wherever we go.

[AuntWithIssues87]

Don't get me started on high-pressure salesmen, whether in shops, or on market stalls, as the really are one of the biggest banes of my life, especially those who accost you as soon as you set foot in their store or approach their market stall literally telling you what to buy.

I find them extremely intimidating and disrespectful, especially the way some of them invade my personal space. I on many occasions have felt very tempted to tell them to eff off and leave me alone, but of course that would have only landed me in bother, especially as shop staff being on the receiving end of abuse from customers seems to be the subject of a moral panic these days, but sometimes (dare I say it) I wonder if they often ask for it themselves, especially those arsy, pushy, arrogant and extremely unhelpful shop staff members with a very bad attitude who seem to revel in treating us customers with contempt, even if we've done nothing wrong.

Hardly surprising many shops have been struggling over the past 20 years or so. At least one of the main advantages of online shopping is not being intimidated by those pushy/stroppy barstewards of shop staff.

Pushy salespeople is one of the reasons shopping at the mall isn’t fun anymore. I get particularly annoyed when they insist on asking “what brings you in today” or “what are you shopping for”. Even if there is something I need, I always answer with “just browsing” and that usually is met with a growl or unfriendly tone. One particular store, you cannot get in without someone greeting you, forcing a shopping bag on you, running down a list of products and questioning you. And then, if you actually buy something...they try to get you to add other items and get mad when you refuse to give your info for coupons. This is why I don’t shop there anymore and just pay their shipping charges and order online.

Also not a fan of department stores trying to push their store credit cards on you. I have a few store cards and the perks aren’t as good as they used to be and the few coupons they throw out as crumbs have an exclusion list (i.e. all the good and popular brands) a mile long.

[Lencoboy]

Pushy salespeople is one of the reasons shopping at the mall isn’t fun anymore. I get particularly annoyed when they insist on asking “what brings you in today” or “what are you shopping for”. Even if there is something I need, I always answer with “just browsing” and that usually is met with a growl or unfriendly tone. One particular store, you cannot get in without someone greeting you, forcing a shopping bag on you, running down a list of products and questioning you. And then, if you actually buy something...they try to get you to add other items and get mad when you refuse to give your info for coupons. This is why I don’t shop there anymore and just pay their shipping charges and order online.

Also not a fan of department stores trying to push their store credit cards on you. I have a few store cards and the perks aren’t as good as they used to be and the few coupons they throw out as crumbs have an exclusion list (i.e. all the good and popular brands) a mile long.

Yes, I'm very much of the opinion that the decline of retail over the past 15-20 years or so is largely self-inflicted.

Not only due to those OTT in-store salespersons constantly trying to accost customers and nag them to death, but also certain stocks of things that I like getting discontinued by the stores themselves seemingly at random, even if they were always very popular and generally sold well.

Some people just seem unable to comprehend the concept of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'!

[dorabella]

Like WiredIncorrectly, I also have a problem with the 'white' LED light new spewing out in most large supermarkets and department stores. I can't focus my eyes or thoughts and usually end up having to shield my eyes with a hand over my eyebrows - as you would in bright sunlight. Makes me feel light headed. Similar thing with the new white street lighting. Bring back the comfortable old yellow light I say.

[NoraB]

I can't walk within 300 yards of Lush without getting a migraine.

Primark fills me with rage - not sure why.

Ikea disorientates me and I always come out having eaten meatballs (I don't even like them) and having purchased a pack of 500 tealights!

I dislike shoe shops on account of them smelling of 'feet'.

I have quite a long list actually, but I'll stop there..