How Economic Factors Affect Consumer Behavior

When I visit businesses with slow sales 1I hear many excuses for why they have so few customers this month. It seems
2 they are willing to blame online sales, the local government policies, or even the local council. Their comments only
serve to highlight the fact they do not understand that the current economic factors have more to do with the customers
behaviour than any of those other factors. 3 Money is not spent if 4 the customer is worried about their future. The
single biggest factor for consumer behaviour spending patterns is how secure they feel their short-term future is
regarding savings, employment and home payments. The more insecure they feel about the economy, the more 5they
will pay down debt or keep money for the rainy days. This ‘happiness’ factor is measured by the consumer confidence
index which is reported daily showing how secure the consumer believes the future is. When the CCI goes over 100
points, customers will spend. If 6the CCI goes under 100 the customers stop spending.How the economy affects the
consumer behaviour?

7The consumer is bombarded with messages of doom & gloom from the newspaper and other news media telling
them all about the problems in the world. Currently 8we have concerns with ;

- Eurozone debt and several countries in recession

- Declining natural resources and climate warning

- Instability in several governments causing public unrest & armed violence

- Over a 20% drop in Australian super and shares

- Loss of primary industries with large scale unemployment happening almost weekly since start of 2012

9Business owners need to pay attention to these economical factors. Mortgage payments are often the largest expense
a customer has and will not risk losing their home just to take a chance and buy your products. When there is
uncertainty in the mortgage rates, 10sales will decline in most sectors. The instability of employment in manufacturing,
11financial services and construction sectors will cause customers to focus on what would happen if 12they lost their
employment. So they start saving money for their possible unemployment and spend it on career change prospects like
training in new skills. Due to the high costs of aged care and related retirement expenses many consumers are looking
ahead to their future by investing in superannuation and/or shares to be financially secure. With 13the global recession
and collapse of some international organisations thought to be secure from the economy wobbles, 14super funds
have lost millions of consumers financial net.

What the current economy means to your customers?

15They are unsure if 16they will be able to keep the family home, pay for their retirement and even if 18they will have
a job in the next six months. So 17the consumer goes into survival mode by saving money and stopping all unnecessary
spending. 19As a business owner or manager you need to pay attention to the local economic factors as 20they will
mean the difference between meeting your sales targets or not.

Analisis tenses :

1. I hear many excuses : S + V1 + O = Present Tense

2. They are willing to blame online sales : S + Tobe + V ing + O = Simple Present Continous

3. Money is not spent : S + Tobe + O = Present Tense

 4. The customer is worried : S + Tobe + V2 = Past Tense

5. They will pay down debt or keep money for the rainy days : S + Will + O = Present Future

6. The CCI goes over 100 points : S + V1 + O = Present Tense

7. The consumer is bombarded with messages of doom & gloom from the newspaper :

S + Tobe + V2 + O = Simple Past Tense

8. We have concerns with : S + V1 + O = Present Tense

9. Business owners need to pay attention to these economical factors :

S + V1 + O = Simple Present Tense

10. Sales will decline in most sectors : S + Will +V1 + O = Simple Future

11. Financial services and construction sectors will cause customers to focus on what would happen : S + Will + V1 +
O = Simple Future

12. They lost their employment : S + V2 + O = Simple Present

13. The global recession and collapse of some international organisations thought to be secure from the economy
wobbles : S + V2 + O/ Complement = Simple Past Tense

14. Super funds have lost millions of consumers financial net :

S + Tobe + V3 + O = Past Perfect

15. They are unsure : S + Tobe + O = Simple Present

16. They will be able to keep the family home : S + Will + V1 + O = Future Tense

17. The consumer goes into survival mode by saving money : S + V1 + O = Present Tense

18. They will have a job in the next six months : S + Will + V1 + O = Simple Pesent Future

19. As a business owner or manager you need to pay attention to the local economic factors :

S + V1 + O = Simple Present Tense

20. They will mean the difference between meeting your sales targets or not :

S + Will + V1 + O = Simple Future.