According to the University of Richmond in Virginia, almost 9% of the American population may be classified as compulsive buyers. This number is up from 5% a few years ago. An interesting fact is that it isn’t just women who are considered to be compulsive shoppers. According to a 2006 Stanford Study, men are just as likely as women to suffer from compulsive buying. Given that the average U.S. credit card debt is $10,000 and comprised mostly of unnecessary purchases, we decided to take a look at this issue to find out what it entails and how to combat compulsive urges to shop.