Trends in Consumption Patterns
Trends in Consumption Patterns The business world is very susceptible to the subtleties of consumer choices. The ability to anticipate the trends in consumer consumption patterns is vital to any company desiring to be a leader or major factor in their industry. Millions of dollars are spent each year in research and analysis to determine or to create trends in, not only who the company’s customers may be, now and in the near future, but also, what will those customers want to buy, and why.
To truly understand trends in consumption patterns, one must first understand the basic principles of economics. Economics is the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services (economics, n.d.). The branch of economics dealing with particular aspects of an economy, as the price-cost relationship of an organization is called microeconomics. This aspect of economics concentrates on the laws of supply and demand. According to Colander (2004), the law of supply states quantity supplied rises as price rises, when all other factors remain constant and the law of demand states that the quantity of a good demanded is inversely related to the good’s price. When price goes up, quantity demanded goes down. When price goes down, quantity demanded goes up. There are several factors that lead to changes in consumption patterns thus a change in supply and change in demand.
Utility
Many believe that people buy things for their own self interest. Sales courses indicate the need to know this self interest because the customer really is not buying their product. The actual purchase is the benefit that the customer will receive from buying their product. Knowing this benefit would enable the seller to set pricing at levels that would ideally be the most beneficial for both buyer and seller.
The customer benefit could be anything. Satisfaction, pleasure, good will, fulfillment of a need are some examples of the benefit received, but are
To truly understand trends in consumption patterns, one must first understand the basic principles of economics. Economics is the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services (economics, n.d.). The branch of economics dealing with particular aspects of an economy, as the price-cost relationship of an organization is called microeconomics. This aspect of economics concentrates on the laws of supply and demand. According to Colander (2004), the law of supply states quantity supplied rises as price rises, when all other factors remain constant and the law of demand states that the quantity of a good demanded is inversely related to the good’s price. When price goes up, quantity demanded goes down. When price goes down, quantity demanded goes up. There are several factors that lead to changes in consumption patterns thus a change in supply and change in demand.
Utility
Many believe that people buy things for their own self interest. Sales courses indicate the need to know this self interest because the customer really is not buying their product. The actual purchase is the benefit that the customer will receive from buying their product. Knowing this benefit would enable the seller to set pricing at levels that would ideally be the most beneficial for both buyer and seller.
The customer benefit could be anything. Satisfaction, pleasure, good will, fulfillment of a need are some examples of the benefit received, but are
References: Colander, D. C. (2004). Economics, Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Economics. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved March 24, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/economics Weingarten, M., Stuck, B. (2001). It’s a stretch to believe in high price elasticity. Business Communications Review, Hinsdale. 31(1), 32. Retrieved March 23, 2008 from the ProQuest database.