CNBC AI News | July 13 — A startling case of compulsive shopping has surfaced in China, involving a 66-year-old retiree who spent over 2 million yuan ($275,000 USD) on online purchases, filling two apartments floor-to-ceiling with parcels.
Living alone after an earlier divorce, Ms. Wang has limited contact with her daughter overseas and minimal interaction with extended family. Her home has become impassable, stacked to the roof with unopened packages, leaving her navigating narrow paths amid the clutter and struggling to find space to sleep.
The overwhelming accumulation of goods has led to sanitation issues, including infestations and odors, causing distress for neighbors.
Property managers have documented persistent attempts over the past year to persuade Ms. Wang to clear the space, achieving little progress despite community outreach efforts.
A follow-up visit one year later revealed a persistent hoarding pattern, with newly arrived packages once again obstructing living areas. Significantly, Ms. Wang has even secured a secondary 90-square-meter rental apartment primarily dedicated to storing purchases.
The motivation behind this extreme consumption? Ms. Wang cited a significant financial catalyst: proceeds from moving from a city-center apartment to a suburban residence created a financial buffer. Her stated rationale? To deter relatives from requesting loans by appearing to have depleted her resources through conspicuous consumption.
This case illuminates a deeper, growing social challenge within China’s rapidly ageing population. Psychologists suggest such extreme shopping behavior often serves as a maladaptive coping mechanism for loneliness and a quest for security among isolated seniors, raising questions about familial support structures, mental health resources for the elderly, and the broader socioeconomic implications of an ageing society.
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