[ESFJ] ESFJs and Shopping

[Vasilisa]

ESFJ's would you be so kind as to describe your feelings, thoughts, and experiences regarding shopping?

This may sound inane, but I am seeking thoughtful examination about the specific role it plays in your life. Others who know ESFJs especially well are also most welcome to contribute.

 

[Malice]

I don't care much about shopping really, I have next to no interest in fashion and tend to only buy the things I need. However I do 'emotionally' shop - IE: retail therapy if I feel the need to get a little 'treat' to cheer myself up from an absolutely douchey day.

 

[OrangeAppled]

I'm not an ESFJ, but I can describe my ESFJ e6w7 so/sp grandma to you (since there are limited ESFJs around here).

- First & foremost, my grandma wants a deal. The price has to be right. She does recognize that quality is worth more, and she will pay more for it. Occasionally she lets her preference for a deal influence her purchasing choices (ie buying something mainly because she has a coupon for it).
- Quality is important. She's really big on comfort also. Convenience is not as important; she'll go out of the way for a deal or something she really wants. She goes for classic, timeless, good quality stuff over novelty stuff, except that....
- She loves gadgets . I note this with people who have inferior Ne - their iNtuition sometimes manifests as an interest in objects which accomplish practical stuff in an improved way, but what it's accomplishing is not particularly groundbreaking in itself. Sometimes this amounts to frivolous, goofy gadgets which seem more trouble than they are worth. On the other hand, she's always on the lookout for the "new & improved" way, which means she tends to have the latest & greatest when it comes to practical stuff (ie. washing machine).
- She loves home shopping TV, catalogs & buying online. This is because she has specific ideas about what she wants & she can find stuff stores don't carry in them.
- She is not one to browse. She plans ahead & knows exactly what she wants & goes to a specific store for it, or hunts it down online, etc. Once in the store, she generally gets what she wants & then gets out. She often does research beforehand & puts stock in recommendations from "experts" or overall good reviews. If she can't find what she wants, then she tends to hold off shopping for awhile until she can find it, keeping her eyes/ears open in the meantime.
-She likes to stockpile stuff. She has more food, toilet paper, etc, than one person living alone could ever need, and she has multiples of practical items like irons & vacuums.
- She keeps strict track of where her money goes & how much she has spent on what.
- She doesn't really seem to enjoy shopping in itself so much as viewing it as a mission to accomplish getting something she "needs". It really comes off as some survival "scavenging & gathering" tactic.

 

[Glycerine]

My dad=it has to be best quality with a good deal attached to it and gadgets....quality and price are the balancing act for him (BMW and $200 sunglasses... ). Some food/office items, he will go generic but he's never super cheap either.

 

[Agent Jelly]

My old ESFJ friend loved shopping... had a giant wardrobe for every season. liked to look at every single item in every store in the mall.

 

[Haven]

I keep buying things that I think I'll need and now I have too much stuff and too little money. I don't end up needing everything I buy either.

 

[Saslou]

My Mum - She loves shopping and believes the hype 'youthful skin with no wrinkles' thus buys it, lol. The only really good thing is she'll find a bargain, use it once then place it in a cupboard to collect dust. When she has a clear out, she asks me if i want it. She also likes shopping for cars *sigh* Bless her.

I do keep on telling her to be smart with her cash and get her to ask herself if she really needs the product but she's a Leo and they like to be extravagant.

 

[EJCC]

The ESFJ that I'm friends with just LOVES to shop, but she is also one of the most frugal people I know. Her only splurges come from shopping trips when she feels like treating herself to something nice. Otherwise, it's Goodwill or Wal-Mart.

(This also applies to the ENFJs I know -- both male and female.)

 

[Giggly]

All the ESFJs I know LOVE to shop! They shop shop shop until they drop. It seems to be one of the top 3 things in life that make them happy (=buying new things) and they don't seem to do it to show off to other people but rather just because it makes them feel good.

Me...I enjoy window shopping but even then only sporadically. I would get bored if I did it every week. I once told someone I know that I'm not a big shopper and they suggested that I was not a shopper because I didn't have an unlimited amount of money to shop with and that if I did, I'd probably be a big shopper. I don't think that's true. I still would not spend all my free time shopping even if money was not an issue. I really do think I get bored of shopping quicker than those who love it. It's the only way I can explain why I don't love it as much as my female peers. The thrill I get from buying something new wears off so fast and because I am acutely aware of this what it means to me is that shopping does not fullfill me and I'm more inclined to not bother with it because of that. If anything, I'm probably more of the opposite. I enjoy and get more of a thrill from saving money (not as in saving money on shopping but as in saving money in the bank). I'm probably closer to the miser end of the spectrum than the overspender end of the spectrum, which I know both ends are extreme and not cool.

I do, however, splurge on food and teas, but even now I'm learning how to keep that under control. I also especially enjoy window shopping in new places besides my home. I guess I just like looking at things that may be different than what I normally see.

 

[RaptorWizard]

Holy Pissnuggetts, I see that there actually are some, even if very few, ESFJs on this forum. I mean seriously, whatever INTPs are writing these type descriptions i.e. David Keirsey have serious superiority complexes, so that when an ESFJ actually reads the dang description, it sounds too inferior for them to relate to hence, instead of embracing the theory and accepting who they really are inside, they toss it in the trash, since it gives them such a bad name, just because the description makes them sound like they aren't special. Really though, I find all types, including ESFJs very necessary, since they are such great helpers, well, at least if they are the more high level brand, but of course, all types have different people at different levels.

Anyway, to adress the OP, I don't really have much to say accept that, from a stereotypical standpoint, perhaps no other type likes social conventions such as shopping more than ESFJs!

 

[Giggly]

The ESFJ's I know love the finer things in life and like to show them to other people. They derive a lot of pleasure from having these things (although I can not explain to you the exact psychology behind this), so naturally, they love to shop. I always wonder at all the "stuff" they have whenever I visit with my ESFJs. It's usually really nice though so I do compliment them.

 

[skylights]

My ESFJ mom really doesn't like shopping. She expresses that shopping for herself is mostly stressful, and prefers to have others' input (even better, to have others with her) when shopping for them. She also expresses that it quickly becomes tiresome.

And yes, I am 110% sure she's ESFJ. She has tested ESTJ years ago and confirmed ESFJ recently through self-study.

 

[Giggly]

My ESFJ mom really doesn't like shopping. She expresses that shopping for herself is mostly stressful, and prefers to have others' input (even better, to have others with her) when shopping for them. She also expresses that it quickly becomes tiresome.

And yes, I am 110% sure she's ESFJ. She has tested ESTJ years ago and confirmed ESFJ recently through self-study.

Well, I'm sure not ALL ESFJ's love to shop.

 

[The Great One]

It seems like more than any other type, it is the ESFJ and ESTP that will dig into your wallet the fastest.

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

I wonder if....the other night whilst I was hanging out with some ping-pong players at my fav bar, it wasn't an esfj whom I was chatting with most...It wasn't a romantic thing--most of the peeps are married and harmless (which is why some of why I like chillin with them), but he used Fe, was extraverted, had a good memory for details and didn't seem N....his stories were funny and I laughed quite a bit. I'm not sure I've ever hung around an esfj much...?

 

[The Great One]

I wonder if....the other night whilst I was hanging out with some ping-pong players at my fav bar, it wasn't an esfj whom I was chatting with most...It wasn't a romantic thing--most of the peeps are married and harmless (which is why some of why I like chillin with them), but he used Fe, was extraverted, had a good memory for details and didn't seem N....his stories were funny and I laughed quite a bit. I'm not sure I've ever hung around an esfj much...?

It could have been an ESTP as well.

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

It could have been an ESTP as well.

Yeah, I didn't talk to him that long. Didn't get that vibe though...

 

[UniqueMixture]

^No esfps trust, ironically if they're rich they're the most generous too

I think esfjs like to shop but they can be fucking cheap! They like to buy high quality/high fashion at a bargain and are willing to stand in line for 17 hours to get it

 

[Such Irony]

My aunt who I'm not sure is an ESFP or ESFJ loves shopping. She has a real knack for knowing what looks good together in clothing and interior decorating and is always finding the greatest bargains.

 

[IZthe411]

I wonder if....the other night whilst I was hanging out with some ping-pong players at my fav bar, it wasn't an esfj whom I was chatting with most...It wasn't a romantic thing--most of the peeps are married and harmless (which is why some of why I like chillin with them), but he used Fe, was extraverted, had a good memory for details and didn't seem N....his stories were funny and I laughed quite a bit. I'm not sure I've ever hung around an esfj much...?

If you see him again, look for the same jokes over and over- might be ESFJ. I got a ESFJ I play ball with and he's funny sometimes, but his jokes are replayed at least once a week. #tbt

Plus, I find ESTPs seem to laugh along with you, more than initiate the joke. Their tert Fe has a more complementary, 'fellow feeling' vibe. Fe doms are most times 'shaming' something in their jokes. They can be funny, but somebody or something has done wrong, and needs to hear about it.