Booze-loving shoppers have revealed their weirdest online drunk purchases – after it was found that Americans have splashed out over $14 billion in the last year while buying under the influence.
From five-pound bags of Sour Patch Kids to rubber ducks and Tamagotchis, those who are prone to drunk shopping admitted that their ‘inner child comes to life’.
A surprising 17 percent of Americans admit they shopped while drunk last year, spending an average of $309 each on intoxicated purchases, according to the Finder’s Drunk Shopping Survey.
But while the huge sums are enough to send anyone’s head spinning, it pales in comparison to 2020, when $44.9 billion was spent during the Covid-19 pandemic as drunk consumers were stuck inside.
Yet, while some say they ‘aren’t proud of it’, TikTok users in the millions watch along to discover in real-time what their favorite creators have mysteriously bought.
Amid the millions of people who like to shop after downing a few drinks, some go a step further and reveal their ill-thought-out purchases to millions of viewers.
From wacky Spartan-esque body armor, tasers and even mini-T-Rex arms for baby chicks, people have flocked to watch influencers open packages they have no memory of picking out.
Lashawna McNeal, an artist who has racked up over a million likes on her @lipsietipsie account, said she saw her viewership shoot up after starting a new segment called: ‘Things I bought when I was drunk’.
‘I showed my friends my drunk shopping gifts once, and they all said they are hilarious and I should share them online,’ she told DailyMail.com.
The TikTok fanatic, whose hilarious videos regularly feature a class of wine as she talks through her purchases, is seen in one video bizarrely unwrapping a pair of MMA-style gloves.
‘I don’t know if this was my fighting period, if I was going to be a street fighter, I’m not sure – but I have purchased these,’ she said in the clip.
‘I also got a wig for my dog – when you’re drunk that’s so funny,’ added the mom-of-two.
‘Drunk shopping is so easy now with Amazon, its so quick. Then you forget what it is!’
LaShawna McNeal said her viewership shot up after beginning a new segment called: ‘Things I bought when I was drunk’
The mom-of-two revealed that she hilariously bought her dog a wig after some drinks because it was ‘so funny’
Fellow TikTok-shopper Beatrice Vu, who has amassed over 1.4 million likes through her aesthetic-advice videos on @itsbeatricevu, added to DailyMail.com: ‘It definitely stems from the pandemic, when we were stuck inside, and shopping became a habit.
‘But ever since, I have seen so many more views after I started sharing my drunk shopping videos.
‘It’s like Christmas, opening up presents you don’t know what’s inside!’
In one of her clips, the Miami-based media coordinator admits ‘I have issues… I have this habit of ordering things online whenever I am completely blacked out’.
Her hilarious drunk shopping sprees have included a magic eight ball and a Tamagotchi, and she admitted buying online often ‘brings out my inner child’.
‘My weirdest buys are often children’s toys, including a recent PlayStation Gameboy – I always just think ‘I’ve gotta have it’.
Miami TikTok creator Beatrice Vu revealed some of her strangest drunk purchases, including a Tamagotchi and a magic eight ball game
TikTok drunk shopper @donaldsonthe3rd, who has amassed a 5.8 million likes on his channel, revealed that he has drunk bought a Spartan-esque piece of armor and a taser
One of the most hilarious drunk shopping videos to spring up amid the trend came from TikTok influencer @donaldsonthe3rd, who has amassed a whopping 5.8 million likes on his channel.
Appearing in Spartan-esque body armor, the 28-year-old reveals he made the boozy purchase while blackout drunk.
‘It happened after a good amount of alcohol coupled with Amazon – they just make it too easy. It’s like you can be your own secret Santa,’ he told DailyMail.com.
He added that his drunk shopping habit kicked off thanks to the Covid lockdowns, which has led him to buy numerous quirky items including a small taser and a pottery wheel – which he insisted is ‘great for dates’.
‘I definitely get more viewership from the drunk shopping videos, and I have even had some brands reach out for advertising and promo codes.’
Among the hazy-minded online shopping community, the Finder survey found that men are more than twice as likely to splash the cash after a few drinks.
And of the 26 percent of men who drunk shop, food unsurprisingly topped the list of their favorite purchases at 47 percent.
This was closely followed by other frivolous purchases including cigarettes, gambling and new clothes.
Meanwhile, among the 10 percent of women who admitted to intoxicated shopping, 50 percent prefer shoes, clothes or accessories.
And beyond a new wardrobe, 15 percent said they opted for food, while eight percent simply decided to pay for more alcohol.
More than one in three Millennials (33 percent) partook in drunk shopping, compared to 28 percent of Gen Z, eight percent of Gen X, and just two percent of Baby Boomers.
Midwest shoppers are also the least likely to shop, as 85 percent say they haven’t made a single purchase under the influence in the last 12 months.
Meanwhile, one in five consumers on the West Coast said they had, with food coming out on top of their favorite drunk buys at 49 percent compared to 42 percent buying new wardrobe items.
However, boozy online shopping is certainly reserved for the better-off clientele.
One in four (26 percent) of those earning more than $100,000 a year say they have drunk shopped in the last year – compared to just 15 percent of those who earn less.
