safety first

Please Do Not Shop Until You Actually Drop

Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Harvey Nichols, Patsy Stone’s department store of choice, is doing something counterintuitive: telling people not to buy so many things. The store has partnered with a doctor-slash-journalist, Rosemary Leonard, as part of a new health initiative to curb shopping-induced injuries. “It might sound silly, but carrying numerous bags can put untold physical pressure on a shopper’s body,” Dr. Leonard told British Vogue. “Restriction of the blood flow is common, which means people can experience tingling of the fingers, and, in more extreme cases, numbness and even fainting — I often refer to this condition as ‘high-bag pressure.’” Pulled muscles and neck or wrist strain can also occur; in fact, Harvey Nicks has created a wristband that reminds people not to carry bags around their wrists. Way to ruin those shopping-spree fantasies where we’re skipping along with a dozen giant shopping bags, guys.

Please Do Not Shop Until You Actually Drop