400 million won worth of online shopping, a woman in her 60s, rented an apartment for storage...a lonely illness
Jul 14, 2025
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This woman's reckless consumption and storage obsession goes beyond simple shopping habits and leads to discussions about the mental health problems of the elderly.
According to Chinese media Cancan News and Hong Kong media South China Morning Post, Wang (66), a woman living alone in Jading District, Shanghai, China, has piled up countless items purchased through online platforms for years without opening them. The living room, bedroom and kitchen, as well as the underground parking lot they own, are filled with boxes, and recently, they have rented additional apartments to store goods.
As Wang's stuff overflowed, neighbors continued to complain about stench and bug issues. It is explained that flies and cockroaches often appear, and delivery boxes are stacked up to the ceiling, so there is no living space.
However, Wang says he has no regrets about his actions, saying "It's a pleasure to spend money." She especially argued that "to spend all your money to prevent people around you from coming to borrow money."
She then said "Selling my old house in the city center and buying my current Jadingu apartment, people think I have a lot of money. He explained, "If you deliberately stack up delivery boxes in case someone asks you to lend money, and use up all the money, you won't be able to ask for such a request."
She mainly bought things through live commerce broadcasts, and there were many cosmetics, health supplements, and gold jewelry. In the meantime, she is said to have spent 2 million yuan (about 385 million won).
"I can't sleep in bed because I have too many packages."In addition to her home, she uses her underground parking lot and a separate apartment she recently rented as a storage warehouse.
A nearby resident asked Wang's family several times to help him improve his lifestyle, saying, `Wang's daughter lives abroad and has little contact with family members or relatives.'," he said.
In May 2023, the town council conducted one house cleaning with Wang's permission, but shopping continued after that.
A Chinese psychiatrist argued that "Her behavior appears to be closely related to storage compulsion" and that "it is not solved by simple cleaning or persuasion around her, but requires long-term treatment and a support system.'
Netizens are saying, "This woman's real illness is 'lonely'", "Families need to take care of the elderly more.", The shopping addiction of the elderly is the result of social isolation.
This case is evaluated as a clear example of the rapidly increasing shadow of single-person elderly households and digital consumption culture in China, suggesting the need for systematic management of mental health and digital consumption of the elderly.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
