Just in Time Consumer

The Just-in-Time Consumer
After the recession, Americans are shopping more, stocking up less

The Great Depression replaced a spendthrift culture with a generation of frugal savers. The recent recession, too, has left in its wake a deeply changed shopper. When the economy sank two years ago, Rebecca Seabern, a mother of two, realized she could shrink her grocery bill just by eating into her crammed kitchen pantry. Americans have bought more and stocked up for the past two decades, thinking that bulk shopping would get their moneys worth. But the long recession has altered the way many people think about the future and their shopping habits.
Many manufactures are changing their selling habits to accommodate consumers by smaller but more frequent shopping trips. Also clothing companies are changing their production and selling schedules for shoppers who increasingly want to buy their clothes in season rather than ahead of time. Consumers are beginning to buy what they need for a specific period time rather than over buying just because they can get a good deal on a product. Companies have realized this consumer behavior and have noted that consumers are more worried about the overall cost of a shopping trip, even if it meant a higher cost per product.
Due to the economical crisis, Americans are beginning to think at the margin when making purchases. Consumers are thinking twice before making extra unnecessary purchases and shaving money for other things. More companies are becoming more efficient by selling schedules for shoppers who increasingly want to buy their clothes in season rather than ahead of time. Because of this new consumer behavior more companies are becoming more aware of the scarcity in their stores, like Costco Wholesale, which sell in large quantities are seeing the drop in their purchases. [continues]

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