Kids Are New Shopping Addicts

New research by the National Consumer Council suggest that UK children have been primed to become a new generation of shopping addicts by the age of ten. A survey of 1000 youngsters by the NCC found that 78 per cent of 10 to 12 year olds already say they enjoy shopping.

This trend continues throughout the teenage years, especially among young women. Ninety four per cent of girls aged 10 - 19 admit their passion for shopping. Those living in the East Midlands are the most enthusiastic shoppers, while young people in East Anglia and the South West come bottom of the table. The NCC survey of 10 - 19 year-olds reveals that, despite their love of shopping, 78 per cent of young people think that we all buy things we don't really need.

Philip Cullum, deputy chief executive at the NCC, said: "Most of us enjoy shopping from time to time. But the worrying finding from our research is the extent to which young children are already being primed to become shopaholics. By the age of 10, most have already been lured into a world of fashionable labels and must-have gadgets. "Most young people say that we all buy things unnecessarily - but when it comes to their own trips to the shops, they simply can't stop themselves."