Shopping and consumption

Some people love shopping, others hate it. Some people shop on a daily basis, others on a weekly basis, still others prefer shopping on a monthly basis. There are people who shop without leaving their rooms, they are called mail-order shopaholics, others grudge neither time nor money to travel long distances to buy something they didn't even plan. We say that they buy on an impulse either to boost their self-esteem or because they are spurred on by offers such as "three for the price of two".

Goods we buy can be divided into 4 categories: consumer products, shopping goods, speciality goods and convenience goods. The products we need every day such as milk, bread or ball-point pens are called convenience goods. The goods we consider carefully before buying comparing competitive products in terms of quality, price or other features are called shopping goods. Speciality goods are those products for which the customer would be pre­pared to pay highly in terms of price, time, inconvenience.

There are different shops which cater for all types of customers. Some shops target low-income group customers, others, on the contrary, cater for high-income group custom­ers. Some shops are small, others make a chain (chain shops/ stores) and they have outlets across the country.

Low or middle-income group customers prefer department stores. It is here that they can do all their shopping under one roof because such shops secure low prices for their cus­tomers and offer them a wide selection to choose from.

Department stores also offer financial services and loan schemes. They assist their cus­tomers with budgeting their expenditures and help them spread the costly purchases over several months.

How a product is consumed can vary from market to market. In some cultures the fe­male holds the purse strings while in others it is a male. In Japan, for example, it is the housewife who makes most of the major purchases for the family and buys the family's food, household supplies and clothing. Usually, she receives her husband's paycheck, manages the household budget, and allocates funds for different categories of expenses, including savings for children's education, vacations, leisure activities, and retirement. In the United States, the primary decision makers are children and teens. It is estimated that 4- to 12-year-olds annually spend $6.2 billion of their own money purchasing items such as snacks, candy, and toys. Youngsters also influence almost $150 billion in family purchases of such products as stereos, breakfast cereals and frozen pizza. Of course all young people around the world dis­play such consumer clout. Many cultures place greater value on the elders in the community and emphasize the wisdom that comes with age. This respect for the elderly stands in marked contrast to the extreme youth orientation in America.

Even the amount or quantity of a product that consumers in different cultures purchase is not constant. In the United States shoppers typically purchase the economy size of products, as shopping is typically done on a weekly basis. In both Europe and Japan, where shopping is done on a daily basis and where household storage place is more limited, consumers tend to purchase smaller-sized packages. Once Philips introduced a smaller version of its coffee-makers to fit into smaller-sized Japanese kitchens, sales took off. Two-liter bottles of Coca-Cola failed to move from retail shelves in Spain because few consumers had refrigerators with large enough compartments to store the beverage container. In contrast, in Mexico Campbell sells its soup in cans large enough to serve four or more, as families in this market are typically larger. Even deodorant consumption varies dramatically. Americans consume almost twice as much deodorant as the French and nearly four times as much as Italians. Consumers in the United States are perceived by much of the rest of the world as quite fanatical with regards to personal hygiene.

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Notes

1. grudge – жалеть

2. self-esteem – самоуважение

3. spur – побуждать

4. shopping goods – дорогие товары

5. speciality goods – предметы роскоши

6. convenience goods – товары повседневного спроса

7. in terms of – с точки зрения

8. secure – гарантировать

9. clout. - влияние

Задание 1. Прочитайте и переведите текст.

Задание 2. Согласитесь или не согласитесь со следующими утверждениями:

1. In Japan it is a woman who does the shopping for the family.

2. In America children and teenagers save pocket money to buy expensive things.

3. Many young people around the world tell their parents what to buy.

4. Large-size packages are very popular in Spain.

5. It isn't necessary to shop on a daily basis.

6. The easiest way of shopping is a mail-order shopping.

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