March 28, 2006
What Do Folks Buy When Really They Just Want Rubbers?
They get "distraction buys," that's what. Here, let the Daily News explain:
That bottle of Diet Snapple you never touch on your desk? The spare can of hairspray you never use? The family pack of gum it would take a month to chew through? Admit it - they're all items from the drugstore that you picked up simply to hide your hemorrhoid cream and condoms. Now those unwanted purchases have a name: They're called "distraction buys."
We prefer "cover-ups" or "Trojan horses" over "distraction buys" but the general idea is the same: People are embarrassed to buy certain products. As long as there have been drug stores red-face saving impulse buys have existed, and thanks to UK TV show the Spa of Embarrassing Illnesses we now have some basic numbers on 'em. And now we know that one in four women admits to buying cover-up purchases when buying items like tampons, at an average extra cost of $9 each time. The same percentage of men get Trojan horses, but they only spend an average of $4.50 extra per trip to the store.
And because you're curious: The five most embarrassing products for women to purchase, according to the News, are Lice Killing Shampoo, Vagisil, Condoms, Hemorrhoid Cream and Pill. Meanwhile, the five most embarrassing products for men to purchase are Condoms, Anti-Diarrheal caplets, Hemorrhoid Cream, Suppositories and Vagisil.
Erm, we've been known to buy a copy of The Nation when we were too embarrassed to just buy US Weekly. What are your distraction buys?
Vending Machine Condoms from nicolelee's flickr stream.
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Umm, The Nation is not a cover-up. It's something you need to buy a cover-up for.
I don't do this.
But I can't believe you posted about it with nary a mention of the classic scene in "Summer of '42."
$3.50 for a single condom? Sheesh. Just get a 12-pack and distribute them among your pockets and drawers.
it's a 3-pack
Looks like $3.50 for a pack of 3 to me...
i wonder what D6 was
"i wonder what D6 was"
Anal Lube
I stand corrected. Still, what are the chances that I'm going to have $3.50 in change and crisp bills when I'm about to get laid?
Lice-killing shampoo? Very embarrassing. Condoms? A purchase to be proud of! It means someone wants your body! I've always felt nothing but pride when I've bought condoms. But for rash creams or lame-o fashion magazines, I usually get Altoids or saline solution as cover-up purchases, because I figure I'll need those anyway.
I gotta agree with the sloth on the condom observation. It's a matter of pride to smack down the 12-pack of Trojan Her Pleasure.
They used to sell condoms in the vending machines in college. Nothing sucks like walking home from a four hour chem lab in the snow to find your roommate in his boxer shorts buying condoms. He's been having sex for four hours and needs a resupply. I got sexiled for another hour.
I just don't see why people get so embarrassed over their purchases. I used to be a cashier at a drug store and I've seen it all and I really didn't care what people buy. And if you are worried that people will see the condom box through your shopping bag when you leave the store, just ask for two bags instead of one.
*looks at jumbo pack of tic-tacs in purse, sighs* FreshDirect needs to get a larger pharmacy department, stat.